Ella Koblo Gulama

Paramount Chief Ella Koblo Gulama OBE, GCOR (26 January 1921 – 9 September 2006) was a Sierra Leonean paramount chief and politician. In 1957, she became the first elected female Member of Parliament in Sierra Leone. She was re-elected in 1962. During the government of Milton Margai, Gulama became Sierra Leone and sub-Saharan Africa's first female Cabinet Minister.

Gulama represented Sierra Leone abroad and her travels took her all over Africa, Europe, North America, and the Middle East. In 1957 as a guest of the State Department, she toured the United States for 4 months during which she met with Vice-President Richard Nixon. The couple had seven children, including Frances, Francis Obai, Jubilee, Alex Soccoh, June, Julius Maada, and Jilo.

Koblo was multilingual and spoke fluent English, Mende, Temne, and Sherbro. She placed under arrest and held at Pademba Road prison for over a year. She was later exonerated and released. and a Grand Commander of the Order of the Rokel from President Ahmed Tejan Kabbah.

Death

Gulama died on 10 September 2006. On 24 September 2006, thousands of mourners gathered to attend her memorial service at Trinity United Methodist Church in Moyamba. At the service, she was described as "a woman of substance", by President Ahmed Tejan Kabbah who added:

Madam Ella Koblo-Gulama has lived an exemplary life, as a mother, wife and stateswoman whose fortitude has earned her high respect.

Honours

United Kingdom: 1965 Birthday Honours - Officer of the Order of the British Empire. Sierra Leone: Grand Commander of the Order of the Rokel.