Background
Bai was born on September 22, 1912 in Sierra Leone.
Bai was born on September 22, 1912 in Sierra Leone.
Educated at Bo Government School and St Edward’s Secondary School, Freetown.
Paramount Chief for an unbroken period 1943-72, except for one brief 406 interregnum in 1963-4. A foundation member of the first colonial District Council and Protectorate Assembly and the Legislative and Executive Council from 1947 to 1950. First unofficial president of the Port Loko District Council. In April 1960 he was sent on the all-party delegation to the constitu-tional conference prior to Sierra Leone’s independence. He was a Minister of State in the colonial Legislative Council, an office he maintained on the formation of Sir Milton Margai’s SLPP government and in thfc coalition government formed on independence in April 1961. He retired in 1962 but on the restoration of the government of Siaka Stevens in 1969 he was brought back into government as a Minister of State.
A powerful paramount chief and member of the earliest colonial experiments in constitutional evolution, district councillor and member of the protectorate and legislative assembly, he was awarded the CBE and made a Minister of State in the governments which brought Sierra Leone to independence. Then, years later, he was brought back by Siaka Stevens to lend his age and experience to the councils of state.