Battle of Tegloma Titans

This weekend, Tegloma International Federation Inc, the largest Sierra Leonean non governmental organization in the diaspora will be having its annual mini-convention in New York/New Jersey. The highlight of this year's mini-convention will be the election of a new board executive who will be charged with the responsibility of charting the course of the massive organization and streamlining its practices and ideas to reflect its nonprofit focus and bring them in tune with the 21st century. Tegloma consists of 24 chapter organizations mostly in the United States of America, with two chapters in Canada and a chapter each in UK, Gambia and Sierra Leone respectively. The newest members of the Tegloma Federation are Tegloma Missouri and Tegloma Gambia.

Alhaji Alieu Mustapha
Outgoing Board Chairman

Tegloma was originally founded as a regional organization promoting southeastern Sierra Leone culture and values and countering the discrimination faced by people from this region in the 70s by Sierra Leone embassy staff in the diaspora. Over the years Tegloma has evolved into an organization that is now open to all, with members that are Kenyan, Sierra Leonean, Gambian, American, French and so on. Tegloma also now has members from every area in Sierra Leone.

Tegloma Federation is now a registered Nonprofit organization with the United States Government and was awarded in 2010 by the US Census bureau for actively engaging in the publicizing and conducting the census. Each Tegloma chapter operates autonomously, but all are under the authority of the International federation. Some Tegloma chapters provide life insurance, job search assistance, immigration assistance and other crucial benefits for their members. Each chapter is run by the executive headed by the chief and board of directors. The largest chapters in Tegloma are the Dallas, Washington DC, Chicago and Houston chapters.

Steady Bongo's yearly Tegloma Performance

The Tegloma Federation is managed by a board of directors who frame policy and an administration task with the day to day affairs of the organization. The Tegloma administration is headed by Chairman Alfred Moi Jamiru and the Tegloma Board is headed by Alhaji Alieu Mustapha.

On Friday May 25, 2012 Alhaji Mustapha's tenure as board chairman comes to an end after 4 year at the helm. A new board will be elected Friday in New Jersey and the contest to replace Alhaji has really heated up as two formidable candidates have been approved by the Federation Electoral Commission to run for the Federation board Chairmanship.

The battle  to replace Alhaji as the senior most member of Tegloma is between the current Vice Chairman of the Federation board Mr. Mustapha Sheriff and the chairman of the Northern California chapter board Mr. Abu Bhonopha

Board Chair Candidate
Mustapha Sheriff

Board Chair candidate Abu Bhonopha
and Mrs Angela Bhonapha

Both candidates bring valuable experience to the position as both are veteran members of the organization with solid skills in management and conflict resolution. In talking to the Segbwema blogger, both men promised to make Tegloma more visible in Sierra Leone by undertaking more charitable projects in the country and helping with more education scholarships. Tegloma currently provides 41 full scholarships for students from all over the country. Tegloma also recently donated millions of Leones worth of medical supplies to some hospitals in rural Sierra Leone.

New York and Ontario Chiefs Hawa Conteh
and Elizabeth Samai with Sheriff

The segbwema blogger Sheku Sheriff is a board member of Tegloma Minnesota and is contesting as board secretary general.

Abu in board meeting