MONROVIA – Established in 1921, Tuzon is the birthplace of the late President Samuel Kanyon Doe, the young Master Sergeant who seized power on April 12, 1980 following a bloody military coup which left President William R. Tolbert and 13 of his cabinet members killed. Doe himself would be killed by invading rebel forces on September 9, 1990 in Monrovia, and the whereabouts of his remains would become a contentious TRC debate. Thirty-years later, Joseph Nyuma Boakai became the first post-war Liberian president to mandate exhumation of the remains of both Doe and Tolbert to accord them a proper state burial. But the place for his burial near tore part his family, and it was JNB who was available to ward off the bitter dispute amongst children, maternal and paternal family members who were divided whether the burial place should be Tuzon or Zwedru. The Analyst reports.
In line with Phase One of this reconciliation odyssey, the remains of former President Doe was taken to Zwedru over the weekend to be accorded a state funeral under the aegis of President Boakai and members of the Reburial Committee who had traveled from Monrovia to grace the occasion. The doleful procession bumped into what would have been a disaster to strike when attempts were made to take Doe’s remains accordingly for a momentary repose in his birth town Tuzon where other family members, elders and traditional leaders were in preparation to view their son’s casket for the last time.
The situation which attended the confusion was only calmed when President Boakai instructed that Doe’s remains be returned to Zwedru for continuation of the funeral procession, following which the Liberian leader and entourage drove all the way to Tuzon to meet with other relatives of the late President Doe, including his nephew Senator Zoe Emmanuel Pennue, who profusely apologized to President Boakai and the Liberian government for the embarrassment that they caused.
Dressed in white, apparently symbolizing a reconciliatory ambience, Senator Pennue started by welcoming President Boakai and his team to Tuzon, and expressed his appreciation for the level of work and commitment that the Liberian leader and his team put into organizing such a befitting sending off for the late President Samuel Kanyon Doe.
“Our brother, our father, our uncle, our friend that served the Republic for 10 years and we voted more than four different times before he came to power last year, and the first thing that came on his docket was to convince the cabinet ministers and the legislature that former presidents William R. Tolbert, Jr. and the late Samuel Kanyon Doe deserved befitting funeral. Today, the 27th of June, we have seen this in Grand Gedeh, Republic of Liberia. So Mr. President, members of the cabinet, Honorable Superintendent, my dear sister Kula, you are most welcome in Tuzon. The children, on behalf of the family want to say thank you.
Continuing, he narrated the genesis of the confusion that nearly brought calamity to the late President Doe’s state funeral, noting that it was not intentional on the part of the people of Tuzon to create a scene especially when President Boakai had led a delegation to Grand Gedeh specifically to send off his former boss and friend. Pennue however clarified that instructions had been given to the Chief of Staff that the army should proceed with the body to Tuzon at least for two hours.
“When they left the stadium, reaching to the bridge right to Ma Pennoh Motel, politicians got involved, they lie down in front of the car. We received a call from the Superintendent, and I said that would be the prudent thing to do. Let them turn around because people want to politicize it, saying they are prepared to die, and that’s not what President Boakai came to Grand Gedeh for, for somebody to die. He came here to give our uncle, our brother, our father, our friend a befitting burial. So, we can still go there, we that were not there today to pay our own tribute anytime, any day, we have that opportunity to go there. On Decoration Day, we will still go there. But we will not be the cause for our dear president who decided to do the best thing for the Krahn people, for the people of Tuzon, the immediate family. All of us have been handling money, thousands, millions, but none of us thought about it. So when someone else from Lofa that God took as a leader that was not in his platform, that when I get elected I will bury the two former presidents. But because he has feelings for people, he decided to give the late president Samuel Doe a befitting burial,” the Grand Gedeh legislator said.
“We are sorry”
Seizing the moment, Senator Pennue, on behalf of the other Doe children who did not attend the funeral in Zwedru, as well as other relatives, sincerely apologized for the disruption.
“I am so sorry. When the family is big these are the things that can happen. So, please Mr. President, on behalf of the family, my mother and her two sisters, sisters from Samuel Doe, one stomach, they are still alive; they are only three besides the cousins and the children; on behalf of all us, we say sorry for any embarrassment we may have caused you. Please, when the children are plenty these are the kinds of thigns of things that can happen.
“Everything that you heard, we are so sorry. Other family people, they decided for people to use them. Yesterday, I was not in Tuzon, Mr. President, it was going to be a total disaster. I was in communication with the Minister, and your instruction that you gave, that also quiet the entire thing down. Up till around 2:am before I said, well, your children are lying down in front of the car in Zwedru. The president cannot do anything other thing again. And they called Zredru to verify and they said, yes the body left the stadium and was coming, the Superintendent it, so everybody knows that you did your best. At least, according to our tradition that other people that will not be able to go to Zwedru will pay their own of tribute in Tuzon. But unfortunately, the General of the family from Doe’s side said she will fight the battle. Mr. President, you and your entire cabinet, we say thank you.
“We are sorry for any embarrassment our sisters, brothers and cousins caused this government, but we know it’s politics time, that’s why we decided to remain here last night to get everything under control. And thank God they listened to some of us. That’s what other people wanted. President Boakai went to Grand Gedeh they’ve been fighting since yesterday, no way to bury Samuel Doe. No! Where is the experience? That’s why we are still in government for 19 years. So we have got to exhibit that experience, that intelligence that is in us. That’s why you have not heard some of us talk, but it does not mean that we are not able to express ourselves. But somebody can’t come and go good for you then you turn it like a bad thing. So Mr. President, we say thank you. May God bless you and your entire family, including all of your cabinet members. I decided to work with you, to call you all the time. How many days, how many times, how many weeks my cousin Veronica Mamie Doe never insulted this woman, accusing her of corruption. Whereby one dollar was not even in the budget at that time. That’s why she turned all the money over to her. Today, Honorable Minister, I am proud to tell you thank you, in front of camera, in front of my family people, that we believe in you. The same way the president believes in you, he appointed you to be Minister of Education, and you exhibited your education on this committee. Thank you for your patience,” Senator Pennue remorsefully stated.
“My Dad”
Speaking on behalf of the other siblings who did not attend the funeral proceedings in Zredru, Madam Celue Doe expressed appreciation to President Boakai to his magnanimity in leaving his busy schedule to come to Grand Gedeh for her late father’s funeral.
“Mr. President and ministers, thank you so much. Distinguished guests, it is an honor, truly an honor. I asked someone a moment ago whether there has ever been a president to come to Tuzon since Samuel Kanyon Doe died, and I think the answer was no. And that speaks volume. I already told you that you are my dad, and you have conducted yourself as a true father and I just want to honor you and give you so much respect for you to be here, for you to find it prudent, with everything you’ve already gone through, your travels, I mean, it’s very exhausting. But here you are because it means so much to you. Thank you, Papa. You are welcome in the bottom of our heart, and we are grateful. Thank you for all your hard work, the entire team, you guys are doing a wonderful job. Thank you,” Celue Deo said appreciatively.
“We need to take all the anger away, it doesn’t help”
Rising to the occasion, President Boakai, dressed similarly in white, expressed his appreciation to the people of Grand Gedeh County, especially the people of Tuzon for the warm welcome, while admonishing the Doe family to hold together, otherwise it is foreigners who will benefit from their county’s rich soil and heritage.
“Thanks to everybody. A lot of people are impressed with what you achieved today. Mr. Emmett Dunn is here. He’s working with the burial group with the Tolbert Family. We’re glad that he could make it here. We want to thank you Eddie. I want to thank my ministers for making the trip and making this work, but in particular, I want to thank you people for believing in us.
“We didn’t come to this job for anything but to bring dignity to our country; we want to open our country for development, we want to make the people know we can be trusted. We want to thank all of you, including you (Senator Zoe Pennue). Because, for some people, if they don’t like you, I don’t care what good you do, they don’t share it. But that’s not the way I live. And I thank you.
“You have a very rich soil. The president, my friend in Ghana says they want to come plant cocoa. I am bringing them here. I saw the soil here and I know how rich it is. The people here need jobs. Nobody wants to live forever. I haven’t seen anybody who died and they buried them on ten tons of gold. We must get that gold out. We can’t be fussing and foreigners carrying the good of the country. That’s why we are here for. But we can’t do it alone. It takes the cooperation of everybody. So, we are happy that in the face of all of the anger and everything, finally the will of God has been done. We want to thank God. So, we passed here to see this beautiful Tuzon and to see all of you. I think we should begin to take all the anger away. It doesn’t help anybody,” President Boakai said.
The visit adjourned with the president and delegation making a brief tour of the town and interacting with other family members of the late President Doe.
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