By: Alieu Ceesay
On a windy, dusty, and sunny day, residents of Tanene Village convened under a mango tree to address a pressing issue facing their community: the urgent need for an Alkalo or village chief.
Located in the Kombo East District of the West Coast Region, Tanene is a small village bordered by Faraba Kairaba and Sotokoi. Due to the absence of a local school, students from Tanene must travel to either Sotokoi or Faraba Kairaba to attend lessons. The community also relies on a single public tap, which has been converted into a borehole, to meet its water supply needs.
The village has been without an Alkalo for four years. The Alkalo plays a crucial role in managing the daily affairs of the community and serving as its leader. Traditionally, Tanene has looked to Sotokoi for its Alkalo, but residents are now expressing their desire for a leader from their own village.
“Enough is enough; we need our own Alkalo in our village. Tanene can’t be under Sotokoi; whoever wants to run Tanene must be from Tanene,” said Joseph Jokin Gomez, a resident. The call for local leadership reflects the community’s growing frustration and determination to establish autonomy in their governance.
According to villagers, Mr. Emmanuel Gomez was the preferred candidate for the Alkaloship. However, they allege that Chief Sanyang submitted a recommendation to the governor’s office for Abdoulie Camara, a candidate they claim has no roots in Tanene.
In defense of his candidacy, Camara stated, “My parents were part of the Alkalo lineage of this village; why not me?”
The predominantly Manjago population in Tanene has raised issues of marginalization. Mr. Alfraid Gomez highlighted their concerns, saying, “The chief knows that here in Tanene, we are Manjago and we are Christians; that’s why he doesn’t want to give us the Alkaloship and instead wants to assign it to outsiders, which is unacceptable.”
Augustin Gomez shared the challenges the community’s youth faced due to the lack of an Alkalo, noting, “We have to go all the way to Sotokoi to get something as simple as an Alkalo stamp—something we should have within our community. We want our own Alkalo.”
Villagers indicated that Chief Sanyang and Kafuta Ward Representative Binta Bah had been invited to attend the meeting, but neither was present.
The gathering served as a platform for discussing leadership issues, an opportunity to reflect on the village’s history, and an encouragement to younger generations to engage in community development. Plans to establish women’s horticultural gardens were also discussed during the meeting, emphasizing the community’s desire for self-sufficiency and local empowerment.
