[3] His father is paramount chief Bai Koblo Pathbana II, an ethnic Temne from Lunsar, Port Loko District and his mother is paramount chief Madam Ella Koblo Gulama, an ethnic Mende.
[4] His middle name is a tribute to his ancestor Obai, the original ruler of the Temne in the Kingdom of Koya in the 1500th century.
In 1973, he earned his bachelor's degree in Economic and Business Administration at Lebanon Valley College.
He earned a certificate in Conflict Management at Harvard University Kennedy School of Government in 2000.
[6][7][5] His grandfather Paramount Chief Julius Gulama was one of the founding members of the Sierra Leone People's Party (SLPP).