The Roles and Functions of Leaders in Traditional Africa

This article is a sequel to the article "A Historical				to the white man. In 1957, Kwame Nkrumah the
Reflection: Leadership in Primitive Africa. When the				prime minister was the idol of African nationalists
roles and functions of leaders in traditional Africa				and his newly freed nation was the symbol of
are examined and considered together with the				liberalism and democracy in emergent Africa. But
way leaders were recognized or acknowledged,				almost immediately Nkrumah began to muzzle the
the traditional concept in African leadership can be				press and imprison the opposition. According to
fully understood. In this section therefore the role				Wallbank, "Nkrumah developed quickly into an
of the leaders will be examined so that one can				outright dictator in the classic mould".
have a full understanding of the traditional concept				Nigeria was also another country colonized by the
in African leadership.				British. There were more than two hundred tribes
THE ROLES AND FUNCTIONS PERFORMED BY				in the country and a dozen important languages.
INDIGENOUS AFRICAN LEADERS				This nation was united in a form of
In discussing the way leaders were recognized or				state-structure and was taught to be the best
acknowledge in traditional Africa. Some of the				example of democracy in Africa. The attempt to
functions they performed have been mentioned in				blend western and African concepts of leadership
passing. These functions will now be discussed in				was also seen in this situation.
more details. At this point the discussion will be				This blend of leadership was also seen in Ethiopia.
focused on kings who ruled larger sections and				This country was conquered in 1936 and her
chiefs, who ruled smaller sections under him. It				emperor Haile Selassie exiled. However, the British
would be helpful to first have an idea of the kind				liberated the country in 1941 and they brought
of relationship that may exist between a king and				him back to his kingdom. Wallbank noted that,
his subject.				"while by no means he was not an enlightened
According to Magbaily Fyle, it is understood at the				ruler he was able to cope with the new forces of
coronation of the Temne King in Sierra Leone				change and modernity.
that he, the King, bought the country from all the				Finally, the Gambia, according to F.K. Buah
major industrial groups, like fishermen, carpenters				attainted internal self-government in 1960 when
and shoemakers, by giving them presents.				Pierre Njie, a Gambian leader of the united party
Therefore if they fail to give him his customary				became chief minister. Two years later, Dauda
gifts later, he could legitimately fine them because				Jawara, who had served under Njie became the
he had bought the country. All section town or				first prime minister of the Gambia. He led the
villages sent tribute to him in the form of grain,				country to independence in 1970.
cattle and other goods once a year after every				The four countries cited above, set up democratic
harvest. These items were considered as				governments, like western countries, when they
presents, and failure to send these things is				gained independence. Those who pioneered a
interpreted as rebellion. The chief used some of				nation to independence almost automatically
these gifts to reward faithful servants and helped				became the head of state at independence. This
those who had bad harvest. It can be noted that				is much in line with how the indigenous leaders
in this relationship, systems have been put in place				were recognize they must have achieved
for the people to take care of their king and also				something. In addition, political leaders who lead
for the king to help people in need. In taking care				their country to independence do not tolerate any
of the people, the king performs the following				opposition. Like the indigenous leaders they
functions: he runs the day-to-day affairs of his				demand total obedience from their followers. The
own town and section. For example, he acts as				leadership style that these leaders developed was
judge in settling disputes for the people. He takes				more authoritative as something domineering.
the decision to go to war, although in consultation				Evidence of Traditional Leadership Concept in
with the elders of the state. According to				Present Day Leadership
Magbaily Fyle, the king did not rule alone, he could				This discussion so far has been to bring to light
not misuse his authority. If he did, the people just				the traditional concept in African leadership. This
move away and he would be a king without				was determined by a close examination of two
subjects. Kings and chiefs have council of elders				aspects: i) By an examination of how leaders
who assist them. In a dispute or a time of				were recognized in traditional Africa and ii) By an
decision-making, these people debate before the				understanding of the roles and functions of
king or chief pronounces the final decision. Leaders				leaders in traditional Africa. It was also noted that
of secret societies were another category of				the traditional concept was fully developed by
leaders mentioned. They were responsible to train				both the indigenes and African leaders who had
young men in activities of manhood such as,				western influence.
hunting, fighting, the use of various herbs to cure				On the side of the indigenes, it was observed that
ailments etc. Leaders of female societies also				leaders were recognized because of special
performed a similar function.				qualities they possess, for example, a warrior or
These indigenous African leaders did not just				'moriman', because the people look for someone
occupy positions but really served the people.				who can protect them. On the side of African
Since the Indigenous Leadership was also				leaders with western influence, leaders were
influenced by western concept of leadership, it				recognized through election or appointment.
would be helpful to examine the traditional roles				Western education was a great advantage.
and functions of African leaders who were				The traditional concept of African leadership was
influenced by western concepts.				fully developed by the time African nation gained
THE ROLES AND FUNCTION OF AFRICAN				their independence. At this point a blend of the
LEADERS INFLUENCED BY WESTERN CONCEPT				indigenous and western patterns can be seen.
OF LEADERSHIP				Political leaders after independence were elected
As already mentioned, western powers				through a democratic process, but they fight like
established few African states but colonized most.				indigenous political leaders to keep their position
If one is to consider the traditional concept of				and don't tolerate any opposition. This fighting to
African leadership, the period of consideration				stay in power is a reflection of the traditional
should be up to the period when most African				concept of leadership in present day African
countries gained their independence. That point				leadership.
marked not only freedom from westerners, but				At this point, it is necessary to show hoe this
also the development of their traditional leadership				fighting to stay in power, has developed since
concept. Activities surrounding the independence				independence and the impact it is having in
of some African states would be considered in				present day Africa. The four nation-Ghana, Nigeria,
this section.				Congo and the Gambia, will be reference point for
1) Leadership Roles and Functions of the Liberated				this discussion.
Africans and Settlers in Sierra Leone				With reference to activities following the
In his book "Creoledom" Arthur porter, made the				independence of Ghana, Wallbank observed, "But
following observations about freed slaves who				almost immediately Nkrumah began to muzzle the
were resettled in a coastal area of West Africa,				press and imprison the opposition. Quickly he
which later became known as Sierra Leone. He				developed into an outright dictator in the classic
said that many of the freed slaves who came				mould". In 1966 a group of army officers seized
from Nova Scotia had been Christians and on				control of the government in 11972 another
arrival, they set up chapels themselves. He noted				military junta seized power in a bloodless coups.
that these churches were not organizations				The situation of Nigeria following independence
devoted only to service and worship. He noted				was very similar to that of Ghana. Wallbank said
that these churches were not organization				between 1962 and 1966 a series of crises -
devoted only to service and worship. They were				disputed elections, corruption and lawlessness,
also centers of social life in the community,				threatened to tear the new nation apart. But as a
providing a field of activity in which the freed				result of these events, the leader of the Ibo tribal
Negroes could acquire state and exercise				region proclaim its independence as the state of
leadership. According to Porter, "The church				Biafra. This resulted into a civil war.
provided an easy opportunity for status				Congo got her independence in 1960. The country
enhancement to those with aspiration for				had seventy major ethnic groups and hundreds of
leadership. Thus many with great ability and force				tribes. Fighting broke out immediately after
of personality if not academic distinction, soon				independence and the United Nations had to
broke away and collected their own following". It				intervene. Wallbank said that the Congolese had
can be observed that contrary to what some				been given practically no training in the art of
people feel, western concepts were not imposed				self-government.
on Africans. The freed slaves had lost or were				Activities following independence in the Gambia
not even aware of the indigenous concept of				were much more favorable but Jawara stayed so
leadership in Africa. They accepted the western				long in power until he was overthrown. Two
concepts as standard as Arthur Porter observed.				things observed about the traditional concept of
"The influx of liberated Africans into Freetown				African leadership are: i) The fight to gain power
community, where the settlers had already set a				and ii) the fight to stay in power, if possible, for
standard based on western ideas, had confronted				life.
the government with a major social problem				The so many wars in Africa, the coups and
Porter stated that the liberated Africans had to				counter coups are just a reflection of the
face a people who had accepted church going and				traditional concept of African leadership. Like the
membership of a religious group as part of their				traditional leaders, present day leaders consider
way of life. In addition, those who exercised				their position as family property. It can be seen
political leadership over the people were either				that present day leadership practices are not
appointed or elected, and thus became the norm				unique. These practices have been found in
when power was gradually handed over to the				traditional practices.
people. Before power was finally handed over to				CONCLUSION
the Africans, the British who pioneered this				The subject of this paper was to examine the
venture had succeeded in uniting the indigenes and				traditional concept in African leadership. The
the settlers under one nation. It is within this				approach taken was first to examine the
context that one could rightly say that the				traditional concept of African leadership and the
traditional leadership concept in Sierra Leone was				then to find out whether elements of this concept
fully developed. This influence of western				were evident in present day leadership.
concepts of leadership in Africa can also be seen				The traditional concept of traditional African
in other African countries that were colonized by				leadership was examined from two perspective: I)
western powers.				from the perspective of the indigenous African
2) Leadership Roles and Functions of African				and ii) that of African leaders who were influenced
Political				by westerners: the freed slaves from Nova
Leaders				Scotia, Jamaica and England resettled in Africa,
Walter T. Wallbank, in the book, "Civilization Past				and the influence resulting from colonization of
and Present", stated that, "the most significant				African countries.
achievement of imperialism was its transmission				Two things determined the concept of African
of revolutionary Western political and social ideas				leadership: a) how leaders were recognized and b)
to underdeveloped societies the explosive idea of				how leaders functioned. African leaders assumed
democracy, parliamentary government and				leadership through a show of power and fight to
nationalism". Every African country that was				retain that power. This concept is evident in
colonized had the influence of western society,				portent day; leadership, revealed in the so many
which resulted in the blend of western and				coups in Africa and the rebel wars. In addition, in
indigenous concepts of leadership in African				the political arena, leaders do not want to give up
countries. Wallbank further noted that the contact				power.
with the European modes of life rapidly				BIBLOGRAPHY
undermined old faiths, customs, tribal loyalty and				Buah, F. K. West Africa and Europe. London:
social institutions and according to him "the African				Macmillan Publishers, 1960.
as yet belong exclusively neither to his old tribal				Ancient World. London: Macmillan Publishers, 1960.
world nor to that of the white man". This				Fyle, Magbaily, The History of Sierra Leone.
western-indigenous blend of leadership concepts				London: Evans brothers, 1981.
can be seen in political leadership as African				Porter, Arthur T. Creoledom. London: Oxford
nations gained their independence. A brief account				University Press, 1963.
of circumstances surrounding the independence of				Rush, Myron. Management: A Biblical Approach.
four African nations can bring out the concept				Iiinois: Victor Books, 1984.
clearly and reveal the leaders role and functions.				Wallbank, Walter,T. Civilization Past and Present.
Wallbank stated," Ghana was the first nation				London: Scott, Foresman and Company, 1983.
south of the Sahara to rise out of subservience

Democracy

The Roles and Functions of Leaders in Traditional Africa