The Mission Boy from Shebar: An Autobiography

This book is Peter Tucker's response to the requests of many of his former co-workers and friends to put on the record for the benefit of posterity his experience in over half a century of public service. Always meticulous and orderly, he begins from his roots in Shebar and goes through the various aspects of his life, describing in simple terms the trials, tribulations and triumphs of his long career in the public Service. He gives a clear and very informative story of the origin of his ancestors, who founded the Tucker Kingdom in the Sherbro region of Sierra Leone, their wealth and power, as well as their relationship with the British Crown. In his peculiar modest way, he describes his life and successes in his beloved St. Edwards School and his triumphs at Fourah Bay College. He entered the Public Service of Sierra Leone in 1955, and in the year of Independence he was deployed in the Prime Minister's Office, where he was given the responsibility of recruiting and training Sierra Leoneans to replace the expatriate staff of the colonial administration and for the transformation of the Civil Service into one for an Independent State. He describes the way he did it and the immense satisfaction he found in serving his country well at that important turning point in its history. The Author also gives an insider's account of the 1967 General Elections and the conflict arising therefrom. He candidly describes the events of that period and refutes many of the speculations, distortions and guesses about what really happened in those few days. Working with the NRC, with all the eccentricities of Brigadier Juxon-Smith is an unforgettable experience, and the reader is given a glimpse of it in this book.