| The Honourable Vice President Alhaji Samuel Sam-Sumana J.D. |
|
|---|---|
| Vice President of Sierra Leone | |
| Incumbent | |
| Assumed office September 17, 2007 |
|
| President | Ernest Bai Koroma |
| Preceded by | Solomon Berewa |
| Personal details | |
| Born | April 7, 1962 Koidu Town, Kono District, Sierra Leone |
| Nationality | Sierra Leonean |
| Political party | All People's Congress (APC) |
| Spouse(s) | Khadija Sam-Sumana |
| Children | three children |
| Residence | Freetown, Sierra Leone |
| Alma mater | Metropolitan State University |
| Profession | Businessman, Information systems technician, Computer repair technician |
| Religion | Islam |
Alhaji Sahr Samuel Tamba Sam-Sumana (born April 7, 1962 in Koidu Town, Kono District) is a Sierra Leonean politician, and the current Vice President of Sierra Leone. He became the newest Vice President on September 17, 2007, running as part of the All People's Congress (APC) alongside Presidential candidate Ernest Bai Koroma that defeated Presidential candidate Solomon Berewa and his Vice Presidential candidate Momodou Koroma on the Sierra Leone People's Party (SLPP) ticket. Sam-Sumana is the first Sierra Leonean Vice president from Kono District and the country's first vice president from the Kono ethnic group.
Samuel Sam-Sumana holds a Bachelor degree of Science (BSC) in Management Information System from the Metropolitan State University in Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States [1]. He also holds a diploma in Computer Network Support Specialist from Knollwood Computer and Business School, in St Louis Park, Minnesota, United States.[2]
Sam-Sumana is married to Khadija Sam-Sumana. The couple were residing in Minnesota, but returned to Freetown when Sam-Sumana was named as the running mate by the then main opposition leader and current Sierra Leone's President Ernest Bai Koroma on the ticket of the All People's Congress (APC).
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Samuel Sam-Sumana was born on April 7, 1962 in Koidu Town, Kono District in the Eastern Province of Sierra Leone. He is the fourth son of the late Kono Chief Alhaji Samuel Sam-Sumana and Haja Sia Hawa Sam-Sumana. Sumana is a devoted Muslim. Sam-Sumana attended the Koidu Primary school in Koidu Town and then proceeded to the Jaiama Muslim Secondary School in Jaiama, Kono District and the Ahamadiya Muslim Secondary School in Freetown.
Before becoming the Vice President of Sierra Leone, Sam-Sumana was the Chief Executive Officer of Aries Rehabilitation Construction and Supplies (ARCS) SL Ltd, incorporated under the laws of Sierra Leone. As Chief Executive Officer, Sam-Sumana showed his Leadership and Management skills when dealing with people in his employ. He served as Vice Chairman Kono-Union Chapter USA, in Minnesota, in the United States.
At the height of the civil war in Sierra Leone, Sam-Sumana was agonized over the near total collapse of the infrastructure of Kono District. In his position as Vice Chairman, Kono-Union Chapter USA, he paid frequent visits to the district and forged a good working relationship with the chiefdom authorities in Kono and Kenema District. He pioneered the construction and repairs of roads in Kono and Kenema districts using funds raised through advocacy and his own personal funds for the betterment of the then inaccessible areas of the Eastern region of the Republic of Sierra Leone.
Earlier, the Vice President served as Managing Director of the United Diamond Mining Company, Kodu Town, Kono District, Sierra Leone. With his expertise in the field of diamond mining, he used to introduce environmental friendly and just mining methods in the field bringing development to the people where his company operated.
Samuel Sam-Sumana also served as the Regional Manager for C-12 International, a company based in Texas in the United States. The company engaged in diamond buying in Sierra Leone, Guinea and Liberia.
His native ingrained knowledge of the diamond industry made an asset to the company where he oversaw training, recruitment, planning and marketing. He provided advice to the company on the socio-political condition in Sierra Leone, Guinea and Liberia.
Honourable Vice President Samuel Sam-Sumana holds a Bachelor degree of Science (BSC)in Management Information System from the Metropolitan State University in Minnesota in the United States. Samuel also holds two Diplomas, the first is the Diamond Rough Grading, Sorting and Polishing from the America Institution of Diamond Cutting and Polishing, in Deerfield Beach, Florida, United States, and a Diploma in Computer Network Support Specialist from Knollwood Computer and Business School, in St Louis Park, Minnesota, United States.
While in the United States, Samuel Sam-Sumana worked for Prudential Financial Group as the System Officer of the network support. He provided he strategic management and operational oversight for the Group, providing training and counseling to subordinate staff. At Allina Health Services, the Vice President ran the Network Support System. He provided the same service to Seagate Technologies in the United States.
Sam-Sumana is a member of the "Five-Man Committee" of the All People’s Congress Party; a party with which Samuel has had a life-long association imbibing the populist character of the Party; a key ingredient in VP Samuel Sam-Sumana’s personal make-up. He has contributed reasonably to the APC in the Kono District and beyond with the aim of strengthening the party in the District.
The Vice President is a substantial contributor to the Kono District Scholarship Board.
On November 23, 2011, Al Jazeera ran a detailed report produced by the noted Sierra Leonean journalist Sorious Samura, directly implicating Vice President Sumana and business associates Alex Mansaray and Momoh Konte in the illicit sale of timber export licences. The report contained undercover video footage of Sumana speaking with licence applicants in his office, his associates openly discussing the payment of bribes to Sumana to facilitate rapid processing of licences, and then receiving cash from the Al Jazeera team for the purpose. The report highlighted the fact that the illicit arrangements were being concluded on the very day when a ban on hardwood timber exports from Sierra Leone was to take effect, and Vice President Sumana is seen, in the video footage, assuring the journalists that implementation of the ban was being "delayed". Sumana later reportedly admitted to Al Jazeera that Mansaray and Konte were well known to him, but that he knew nothing about their collection of cash on his behalf. Sierra Leone's cabinet was reported to be meeting in special session about the Al Jazeera sting operation.
| Preceded by Solomon Berewa |
Vice President of Sierra Leone 2007- |
Succeeded by Incumbent |