THE PRESIDENT
His Excellency Brig. Rtd. Julius Maada Wonie Bio,
On the 12th May 2018, H.E. Julius Maada Wonie Bio was inaugurated as the 5th President of the Republic of Sierra Leone. Born on May 12th 1964 in Tihun, Sogbini, Bonthe District, Julius Maada Wonie Bio is one of 35 children born to Paramount Chief Charlie Wonie Bio II, Sogbini Chiefdom.
H.E. President Bio completed his primary, secondary and undergraduate education in Sierra Leone. Always driven by a passion to serve his country, H.E. President Bio started his illustrious public service journey as a school teacher before joining the Sierra Leone Army where he rose through the ranks as Brigadier. He previously served as Chief Secretary of State, Chief of Defense Staff, Minister of Information, Minister of Marine Resources, Deputy Head of State, and ultimately as Head of State of Sierra Leone from January to March 1996.
As Head of State, President Bio presided over the conduct of the first democratic elections in Sierra Leone in nearly three decades. In Sierra Leone, Julius Maada Wonie Bio is popularly referred to as the “Father of Democracy” because of his outstanding contribution towards the restoration of democracy and attainment of peace in Sierra Leone.
President Bio is a well-known Philanthropist and Humanitarian through the work of the Maada and Fatima Bio Foundation. The Foundation donated food and other items to victims and families affected by the 2014 Ebola outbreak in Sierra Leone and during the environmental disasters of 2015.
Most recently, he was a Senior Research Fellow at the University of Bradford, United Kingdom, pursuing a doctorate programme in Peace Studies.
H.E. President Bio credits his mother, Mamie Amie, as the person from whom he acquired all his driving principles in life – calmness, hard worker, and a staunch believer in God.
The Vice President
His Excellency Dr. Mohamed Juldeh Jalloh
Was born in the Kono district by parents from Port Loko District. His mother hails from Kalangba, in the Lokomasama Chiefdom and his father from Tentefore, in the Kafu Bullom Chiefdom.
Dr. Jalloh, a devout Muslim started school in Kono, where he attended the Islamic Primary School and later graduated to the Koidu Secondary School. He then passed his Advanced Level qualifications at the Ahmadiyya Muslim Secondary School in Freetown. Dr. Jalloh graduated with a BA from the Fourah Bay College, the University of Sierra Leone before moving to Nigeria, where he obtained an MSc in Political Sciences from the University of Ibadan.
Following his solid academic track records, Dr. Jalloh was admitted to a Ph.D. Programme and obtained his Doctorates degree from the Institute of Political Sciences, the University of Bordeaux in France.
Dr. Jalloh started his professional career in the United Nations in March 2000 working as a Program Officer at the United Nations Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK). Until recently, he worked as a Senior Advisor at the United Nations Stabilization Mission in Mali (MINUSMA). His extensive experience allowed him to provide strategic advice in overseeing the efficient functioning of the offices and pillar of the Deputy Special Representative of the Secretary-General who also served as the Resident Coordinator and Humanitarian Coordinator.