By kadiatu.jalloh@awokonewspapersl.com
Kambia, SIERRA LEONE – As Sierra Leone proudly celebrates 64 years of nationhood, we pause to honour the memory of one of our noble sons — Bai Farma Tass II, Paramount Chief of Magbema Chiefdom, whose quiet strength and dignified leadership helped pave the way for the freedom we now cherish.
Bai Farma Tass II reigned as Paramount Chief from 1945 until his passing in 1958, just months shy of the dawn of Independence. A man of uncommon vision and grace, he was among the first from the northern heartlands to receive formal education at Bo School, and the first of the distinguished Tass lineage to combine traditional authority with modern scholarship.
“He stood shoulder to shoulder with Sir Milton Margai during the critical negotiations for Independence,” recalls Bai Farma Tass Bubu N’gbak IV, the current Paramount Chief and Member of Parliament for Kambia District. “He was more than a chief; he was a statesman, a bridge between tradition and modern governance.”
Bai Farma Tass II’s appointment as the first Paramount Chief Member of Parliament and Cabinet Minister without Portfolio was a landmark moment in the annals of Sierra Leone’s political evolution. His service birthed the PCMP status that today empowers paramount chiefs to serve both crown and country within the nation’s legislative body.
Yet, his legacy extends beyond politics. In 1947, with great foresight, Bai Farma Tass II modernized the chieftaincy’s physical and administrative structures — erecting a grand residence, a stately court barray, and key infrastructure that helped lay the foundations for a thriving Kambia District.
“It was during his reign that the Kambia District Council, the Magistrate’s Court, the Post Office, and the Government Hospital were all established,” his nephew notes with pride. “He and Sir Milton Margai also formed the Sierra Leone People’s Party (SLPP) right here in our district, giving a voice to our people’s aspirations.”
The Tass lineage itself is woven deeply into the fabric of Sierra Leone’s history. Dating back to the 1700s, their founding patriarch, King Ketass — a legendary warrior king — laid the cornerstone of what would become centuries of stewardship and leadership. The name “Tass” remains a proud badge carried by every ruler descended from his line.
Indeed, it was Bai Farma Tass I, an earlier scion of this venerable house, who helped sign the treaty transferring the Protectorate to British authority during the tumultuous era of Bai Bureh’s rebellion.
Through war and peace, colonial domination and the fight for self-rule, the Tass family has stood as a steadfast pillar of leadership, guiding the people of Magbema Chiefdom with wisdom and unwavering commitment.
Today, as flags wave high and drums resound across the land, let us remember and revere the contributions of Bai Farma Tass II — a son of Sierra Leone, a servant of his people, and a silent architect of our Independence. KLJ/27/4/2025
