MONROVIA – Love him or hate him, there is no denying that Nimba County’s deceased enigmatic senior Senator Prince Yormie Johnson will forever remain a political whirlwind to reckon with in Liberia’s postwar political dispensation.
Seen over the past decades as the prima facie liberator of Liberia’s second vote-rich political subdivision, by virtue of the role he played during the country’s past bloody civil conflicts where he marshalled his dissident forces against the then ruling establishment’s onslaught of his kinsmen, the former leader of the erstwhile Independent National Patriotic Front of Liberia (INPFL) rebel faction has managed over the years to reinvent himself into a political giant and emerge as Liberia’s foremost kingmaker, playing a yeoman’s role in the two-termed elections of former President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf in 2005 and 2011; the shockingly mercurial rise to the presidency of soccer icon George Weah in 2017, and Ambassador Joseph Nyuma Boakai’s hard-won victory in 2023 over an incumbent administration that was set for reelection.
But with Nimba’s kingmaker now joining his ancestors into the unknowns, the question of who becomes the next successor to the late Senator Prince Y. Johnson has left political pundits frantically scratching their heads over who will take up the mantle to unify the people of Nimba and serve as their new Political Godfather aka Kingmaker.
Surprisingly, Nimba County District #5 Representative and Chairman of the House Majority Bloc that has seemingly successful wrestled power from House Speaker Fonati Koffa, Samuel Kogar is now positioned to succeed Senator Johnson, evidenced by his unchallenged initiation into the traditional rites that have accordingly certified him as Nimba’s next Political Godfather and Kingmaker.
Reporting from the dense heartland of Nimba, our correspondent has been covering events ranging from the feelings of Nimbaians about their fallen hero’s life and death; to what they expect of the late Senator’s next successor.
At the heart of the Nimba Godfather succession plan, no other name rang so prominently as that of Representative Samuel Kogar who has now jockeyed himself with traditional leaders to fill the void left by Senator Johnson.
Garbed in traditional attire and bearing a silver sword by his side from the day the remains of Senator Johnson left Monrovia to enter Nimba, Representative Kogar on Friday, January 17, 2024 consummated his takeover of the Nimba Godfather role in a seemingly bizarre but traditionally virile ceremony that saw him jumping four times over the reposed body of Senator Johnson, dressed in blue-white striped country cloth, and lying in an open casket, as traditionalists proffered war-like chants and performed eerie rituals.
According to one of the Nimba County elders whom our correspondent engaged with in a frank conversation after the ceremony, the rituals meant that Representative Kogar is automatically the Godfather of Nimba County, having jumped over the late Prince Y. Johnson’s remains and undergone the appropriate rituals.
“Our forefathers and the elders have chosen Kogar. And we must obey,” he said, noting that Kogar submitted himself to a process that many of his peers would run away from.
Expectations
As the new Political Godfather of Nimba County Representative Samuel Kogar whom political pundits believe will be vying for the late Senator Johnson’s slot in the Liberian Senate, is expected to rally the people of Nimba County behind the ruling establishment, the Unity Party, that has reportedly invested huge human and material resources to ensuring the dethronement of House Speaker J. Fonati Koffa and securing the House Speaker position to foster their development agenda, among other things.
“Kogar’s selection as Prince Johnson’s heir apparent emboldens the ruling party to achieve so many things. But the question is, whether Kogar will be successful in unifying the people of Nimba into a homogenous political amphitheater to the benefit of the ruling Unity Party and its second term aspiration, remains the big question,” says Sam Findley, a political analyst from Nimba County.
Public Reactions
In the event of Representative Kogar’s selection and traditional initiation as the late Senator Johnson’s successor, the public has been providing mixed reviews with regards to the public display of such traditional rituals which many believed should have been limited to off-camera bush society ritual performances.
“I am from Nimba and I lived with my traditional grandparents before, and I have been to dead body occasions or funerals. There’s nothing like this in our tradition. I see this as complete nonsense! This is just for attention because of the senatorial position. Nothing else!” remarked Lincoln Workar from Nimba County.
But according to Saye Charles Guikpa, “In Nimba, we do not mourn the dead; we celebrate their homegoing and send messages to our ancestors, affirming that we are here and will uphold their legacy. We strive to make the land they entrust to us even greater than they left it. The dreams and unfinished aspirations of our ancestors will be fulfilled. This is the Nimba I know. Why cry when a departing elder embarks on a journey to join our ancestors, becoming one of them to defend and protect us from above?”
But reacting to Mr. Guinkpa, while admitting that most Liberian traditional societies perform similar rituals, George N. Williams wondered about the legitimacy of Representative Kogar to participate in such rituals.
“We all do the same. I am from Rivergee County. On our side is the Chief Priest who does all of the rituals. Is Kogar a priest/chief priest to do what you saw in the pictures and videos? You have no idea what is currently happening in the county because of Kogar’s action. So, stop the defense.”
On the other hand, Peter Karkue sees Kogar’s ascendency as Senator Johnson’s successor in a completely different light.
“Drama upon drama! He was a killer from the so-called liberation of Nimba to slaughter thousands of innocent citizens in Bong Mines and Monrovia. He purportedly repented and became a pastor yet no church rites were performed. What could jumping over his corpse do to bring back the thousands he murdered?”
“This is more like passing the torch to the next person or generation, you uncultured funny people. Respect people’s traditions like the way you respect European Christian traditions,” remarked Fits Boris Freeman.
“This is a mere show. A real traditional ceremony like this is not supposed to be on Facebook,” said Ansumana Bility from Bahn..
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