By Foday Moriba Conteh
In the field of journalism sometimes one thing leads to another thing or issue and that was exactly what transpired when this news medium honoured an invitation to cover the commissioning of a school that was constructed by a philanthropist in one of the deprived communities in the rural setting in the outskirts of Makari Village, Makari Gbanti Chiefdom, Bombali District, Northern Province of Sierra Leone to be precise.
As a reporter who was designated to cover the event I also filed in a story which I deemed is news worthy within the category of human interest stories. The issue bothers around an attempted violation of the Freedom of Association of one Issa Kalokoh, who was forced to become a member of a highly secret society for young boys and men, the dreaded Poro Secret Society as a rite of taking over his father Mohamed Kalokoh who was a senior member of the society, occupying the position of “Gbanabom”, which is a powerful position in the society.
The said practice is said to be a tradition in the chiefdom that every male child whose father is part of the secret society once he passed away his male child becomes an heir to take over his father’s position as “Gbanabom”, of which every family in the community is expected to comply, as deviating from it is tantamount to disobedience to the gods of the land and is seen as a sacrilege.
It was also revealed that Issa Kalokoh has reached the age to be initiated; therefore, he is expected to voluntarily report to the Poro Society elders for the due ceremony. But certainly, he is not interested to join the Poro Society because it’s not morally decent and unethical for his health and the Islamic religion which led him not to cooperate with the process.
As he became eligible for initiation, our source disclosed, he simply declined their invitation, and it became apparent that the society is poised to abduct him and forcefully initiate him, since he had shown unwillingness to join the secret society and to take over his father. It was at the point that a friend of Issa Kalokoh, Joseph S. Kanu decided to aid the escape of his friend out of the country for his safety.
According to our investigation, it was revealed that the members of the society had raided the family home of Issa Kalokoh on several occasions, and are currently offering a reward for information leading to his location whenever he visits Sierra Leone.
According to sources close to the Secret Society hierarchy, the penalty of betrayal (refusing to comply with the tradition of the community) is death through unconventional means that leave no room for police investigation.
Up to this moment of going to Press the whereabouts of Issa Kalokoh is not known. But what is certain is that the members of the Poro Society are desperately searching for him vowing that if he is seen they will kill him and sacrifice him to the Poro gods.
For now Issa Kalokoh has been declared wanted in the country by the Poro Society members because they believed he has committed treachery especially for adhering to the dictates of tradition.
From what this medium learnt there are other young boys and girls in the country who are forced to associate themselves with certain traditional practices, some very harmful, against their wishes all in the name of preserving traditions or customs.
In reality their basic fundamental human rights are violated with impunity which is why it is important for Human Rights Based Organizations in the country to step advocacy and raise their voices against those harmful traditional practices otherwise young people will continue to suffer in silence.
