A dolefully paralyzing moment has lately consumed the Sirleafs from whom Liberia and Africa’s first female elected president, Mrs Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, hails. And she is the most bereaved having lost her first child, James Ebreem Sirleaf, affectionately called JES, to the cold hands of death. Having nursed the deep hurt of the passing of this patriarch of the Sirleafs, the family is mustering the courage to let out the most unwelcoming news—that their son, brother, father and great pillar will finally be processed for eternal rest today. Though crowds of Liberians are expected to join the family, it is said that tributes will not be made at the funeral service. The Analyst reports.
The last three weeks, former President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf and other related familial cleavages, along with their associates and acquaintances, have been mourning one of Liberia’s noted technocrats, James E. Sirleaf.
The former Liberian president, who is currently World Health Organization’s goodwill ambassador, lost her first child on December 22, 2021.
The late James E. Sirleaf, was a former banker with formidable years of business banking experience based at Citibank London, Div. Head for Corporate and Institutional Bank, United Bank for Africa (UBA) Liberia, General Manager Corporate and Institutional Banking at formerly called FI and now called SIB Bank in Monrovia.
He succumbed to death peacefully at his Congo Town residence, according to family sources, without prior complaints of ailment.
The family has announced that his mortal remains would be removed from the Samuel A. Stryker Funeral Parlors on Tuesday, January 11, 2022 at 9:00am and taken to the First United Methodist Church, Ashmun Street.
The family further announced that interment of JES, former Member of the Board of Directors of Blue Cross Insurance, Inc. in Monrovia, Liberia, and Consultant and Advising Director of Monrovia Oil Trading Corporation in Monrovia, Liberia, will take place immediately thereafter at Jovan, the family farm at Todee Junction.
According to the family, no tributes will be made at the funeral but those interested in making any tribute should use the Facebook page of the deceased, who earned an MBA from the University of Liverpool, Post Graduate in E-Business from the University of Westminster England, and a degree in Business Administration. He was also a partner at Monrovia Oil Trading Corporation.
He was also devoted farmer, especially the breeding of animals.
James was a high silhouette participant at Strasbourg, France World Forum for Democracy under the Council for Europe in October 2012, where he along with the Head of the Asia Development Bank (Japan) both delivered addresses on the impact of the World Economic and Financial Crisis in Weakening democratic institutions.
Ahead of the funeral service today, family and friends have been inundating the social media without moving tributes in honor of managing partner of the Monrovia Oil Trading Corporation (MOTC).
Phil Gbor Tougbay, a Liberian, took to his Facebook page and wrote: “To the former President Madam Ellen Johnson Sirleaf and the entire Sirleaf Family. In this difficult time, may God hold you close to his heart, where he can feel your deepest loss, and fill you with his deepest love. Please accept my deepest condolence for your loss.”
Also expressing his sympathies was Mr. Charles Lahai Hoffman, an apparent family-friend, who said: “Jes (James Sirleaf), this is hard for me to swallow because yesterday morning, as usual, when I wake up, there’s a message from you. Which I usually respond to or reply. By noon, I received another message from you, asking me to support your daughter’s business this Christmas. I texted, ‘of course’. We would later chat around 4:30 PM my time and you said, ‘Cuz I know you are busy… But God will bless you for supporting yor little cousin and you sent me this picture, of you and your daughter.”
He narrated further: “Later, I looked through her catalog and I was quite impressed. I couldn’t wait to call you in the morning to congratulate you and her for a job well done. By the time I got through with my morning prayers, I saw this message on my phone: ‘Ellen’s son, Jes, just passed away; they found him dead this morning’. I’m trying to wrap my head around this news. Rest In Peace, Cuz. Thank you for blessing me in your last hours.”
Mr. Aaron Dixon, for his part, lamented: “I am shocked and speechless. I cannot believe this horrible news. A friend and a brother to all he came across. His smiling face brought people closer to him. He was so humbled and caring person. He will be missed in the community. Rest Jeff till we meet. My condolences to the family and I pray that his soul rest in perfect peace.”
Countless other moving tributes and expression of sympathies flooded the social media, something acknowledged by Robin Sirleaf, daughter of the deceased, who wrote: “Hello to all. This is Robin Sirleaf. I am touched and overwhelmed by all of your messages. The sudden loss of my Daddy was not one I ever imagined anytime soon and I am still in shock, in anger, sickness and numbness – often to the point that I feel I cannot breathe. I’ll be honest: I don’t know how we will get through this one.
“As you can all see from posts on this page he was my number one cheerleader in life, no matter what I did and once I accept that all of this isn’t just a terrible nightmare to wake up from, I will perpetually struggle to figure out who I am without my Daddy, always there, cheering me on,” Robin continued.
“Until then, our family has decided that all tributes can be written here on this Facebook page since he liked using the platform so much. I have changed the settings to allow friends to post their memories. Therefore, the memories can remain online forever (or as long as mark zuckerberg let’s us). Thank you all.”
JES’ Last Facebook Post
A day before his death, the fallen James E. Sirleaf was lively and kicking, ‘doing his own thing’ on Facebook.
A quick view of his Page showed two noticeable updates on December 21, 2021 and he died the next day on December 22, 2021.
The first post was done at 6:44 AM and it reads: “Hey! Welcoming the spirit and joy that resonates with each Christmas! Blessings and a good and prosperous New Year!”
The second one, which was done at 9:03 Pm reads: “Hey, our praises go to the Liberian entrepreneurs especially the woman folks who are already entrusted with child-bearing and child-rearing! Check it out with this link: Happy New Year to all of you. Jes Sirleaf”.
It can be recalled that Mr. Sirleaf, a career banker and businessman was found dead at his residence on Wednesday, December 22, 2021 that got his mother, Madam Ellen Johnson Sirleaf broken down when she received the news of his demise.
No sooner did the news hit the public space, many sympathizers started making their way to the residence of the former President to register their sympathies.
Comments are closed.