MONROVIA – The Liberian National Police is the most talk about parastatal of Liberia’s security architecture. Justifiably or unjustifiably, it has attracted much public outrage for bad behavior of some, if not most, of its officers. But amongst the bad apples are a few or several other upright individuals, who are greatly admired by the population for their distinctive arts of policing. Officer Alfred Nayou Boley towers in this later group of professionally refined and well-behaved police officers. Citizens from the political and demographic divides hailed him fondly and lavishly for his exceptional style of work. The nation was shocked when it was announced that he suddenly passed. And expectedly, both the police and the civilian population are planning “not to make his burial lazy”—meaning highly befittingly ceremonies are underway to celebrate his eternal home-going and to immortalize him. The Analyst reports.
The Government of Liberia, through the Liberia National Police, has released details on funeral activities of Alfred Nayou Boley, a fallen police integrity icon befitting of a gallant patriot whose dedication to duty, passion for his profession and sense of humility left a huge void and indelible imprint on the society and will be remembered as such.
Officer Boley, a holder of the National Integrity Award and others accolades from religious, social and societal institutions, died suddenly on June 10, 2022 at the Marweh Clinic in Vai Town, Bushrod Island after he had fallen off while going to his usual duty. He was reportedly rushed to the health facility where he was pronounced dead.
According to Police Spokesman, Moses H. Carter, who spoke to The Analyst exclusively in an interview, the police has concluded all arrangement in collaboration with the family to accord the demised officer a befitting respect.
He said the body will be taken from the Capehart Funeral Home in Caldwell and taken to the Saving Grace Temple, Sawmill Community, Logan Town, under full police escort for funeral service.
He said thereafter, the body will be taken to the Brewerville Cemetery under police escort for burial.
Mr. Carter said under the tradition of the Liberian National Police, the body will be dressed in full active service uniform and within a distance to the burial site, the body will be disembarked from the hearse and conveyed by members of the force in a parade formation to the gravesite.
Mr. Carter, who was quick to express his deepest condolences to the bereaved family, said the death of the officer was a shock to Liberia National Police force where for many years he worked and lived an exemplary life.
He said that the Inspector General of Police, Mr. Patrick Sullie, has called on the members of the Liberia National Police to emulate the good deals and work ethics exhibited by the late officer in terms of how he related to people because the whole idea of working as a police officer is to be of service to the people and to do that you must be in good accord with the people you live with. That was what late officer Boley represented.
When asked if there was any other way the force has in mind as a way to immortalize him, the police spokesman who is a rather subdued mood apparently not comfortable discussing about the passing of a committed officer whose death he described as “dying on duty”, said he has not been told about any other thing in that direction but said that it will not be a mistake if there was some form of initiative in place to serve as a remembrance for his service to the country and its people as serving as an encouraging for those who he left behind to take their profession serious.
Also speaking to extol his virtue, Mr. Johnny Z. Duaryenneh, Chief of Patrol of LNP, under whose supervision the late Boley worked, said members of the division are still in utter shock about his death and that he will remain in their memory as an inspiration for those who worked with him and also the entire police force.
Mr. Duaryenneh described the fallen officer as a passionate and hardworking officer who did everything in his power to be a good image of the force.
A life sketch released from the family has it that he was born on November 15, 1961 in Zwedru City, Grand Gedeh County unto the union of Mr. and Mrs. Zarlo Boley, both of whom predeceased him.
“Nayou”, as he was affectionately called, started his primary education at the Suah Memorial school in 1970 and matriculated to the Tubman Wilson Institute where he graduated with a high School Diploma in 1981.
Like many rural families, Nayou’s family could not afford him the opportunity to further his education and so he remained in Zwedru, assisting his parents to make ends meet until in 1983 when he moved to Monrovia for greener pastures and joined the LNP in 1985 at a tender age of 24.
Upon graduation from the Police Academy, he took interest in the Traffic division of the Police, with the strong desire of demonstrating that he could contribute to the national development efforts by ensuring that people plying the streets of Monrovia do it in an orderly manner, with respect for the laws and for one another.
That desire drove him to take things much more personally while handling people with different moods especially during rush hours of the day.
However, according to Police records, Nayou was “recycled” in 1992 and promoted to the rank of Sergeant in the Traffic Division of the Liberia National Police. During the Security Sector Reform (SSR), Nayou was considered and assigned to the Zone 10 Depot, Doe Community, Bushrod Island.
Because of his dedication to duty, the management of CEMENCO gave Nayou a space for him to reside, where he lived until his demise.
According to family sources, he was a different kind police officer. He was very conscious of time and would get up and get ready for work as early as 4:00am everyday and nothing, not even the rains would stop him.
He would talk to traffic violators and offer them personal advice or even calm people down by his pleasant approach when they are raging in frustration.
Everyone he met was treated with respect. This style of policing was recognized by many and in 2012, he was awarded the Integrity Icon Award by the United Nations Military Mission in Liberia (UNMIL).
A recorded documentary by the UNMIL while he was in active service which has since gone viral since his death, catalogued his commitment to duty and the passion he brought to the profession that was uncommon.
Citizens, especially drivers and passengers interviewed in the recording were unison in showering encomium for the level of dedication and zest for the job he so loved.
On the morning of June 20, 2022, Alfred Nayou Boley, like many mornings, got up early, got fully dressed in his Uniform and decided to go to his assigned area. Suddenly, he fell off and was rushed to the Mawa Clinic in Vai Town, Bushrod Island, where he was later pronounced dead at the hour of 9:15am.
He leaves to mourn his loss, one biological son, (Junior Emmanual Boley), several foster children (Alvin Boley, Patience Boley, Faith Boley, and Melvin Boley), Several brothers and sisters here in Liberia and abroad, several uncles, nieces, nephews, cousins and a host of other relatives and friends far and near.
Meanwhile, eulogies continue to pull in the family on the passing of what many called an excellent image of the LNP which in recent time has been variously referred to in demeaning terms of what many believed is the level of corruption within the system and have called on government to institute an award or put in place an effort to immortalize him for what he stood for which will serve as an encouragement to others not only in the LNP but also in public serviced.
Anderson Miamen, Executive Director of the Center for Transparency and Accountability in Liberia (CENTAL), said though he has not had any formal contact with Boley, but what he has heard and read about him speak volume that must be documented especially working in a system that has got no good image of itself.
“Honoring him goes beyond merely praising him when he is dead but doing something so that posterity will remember him for what he did will go a long way. There should be an initiative to immortalize him not just in monetary terms if it must be but to also show how serious the government is in fighting corruption”, he said.
Patrick Wleh Moses II, a retired civil servant said that it is sad that he died for a country that does not believe to honor its best citizens but it is be a good thing if the government can give him a deserved honor after his burial so that the generation unborn will know that there is good name and virtue beyond money.
“I am deeply in sympathy with the family and just hope he is not forgotten right after the burial. The government must do something for what he did for the family so that we can teach this generation that good name is better than money and gold”, he said
His nephew, Vlendy Gai Freeman, who has become the fulcrum of the family after the demise of the late Boley in a passionate tone while speaking to The Analyst said the officer’s death will be a serious blow to the family as the breadwinner and launched an appeal to the government and all well meaning Liberians to please assist with needed assistance and opportunities for the family to cushion the effect of the blow from his death.
He also used the occasion to thank the LNP for the level of support accorded the family in arranging the funeral activities.
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