MONROVIA – In a move that epitomized true reconciliation and a burial of the hatchet which broke apart relations between the people of Nimba and Grand Gedeh Counties due to the bloody Liberian civil conflict, Grand Gedeh County Senator Thomas Yaya Nimely has called on the elders and leaders of the two counties to build on the special relationship that existed between him and the last Senator Prince Yormie Johnson of Nimba County, both of whom became warlords but later transformed their lives to better serve their people and country.
Delivering a powerful eulogy Saturday in Gompa City during the funeral of the late Senator Prince Johnson, Senator Nimely said it is now time for the leadership of the two counties to take a stand for genuine peace and reconciliation if their respective counties must forge ahead.
“Ladies and gentlemen, Prince Johnson believed in Thomas Yaya Nimely. He wanted to do something, but he never had the chance to complete it. And so, today I have come from Grand Gedeh. I believe that Senator Prince Johnson wanted to see a genuine relationship between Grand Gedeh and Nimba County.
“I take this time to ask the leaders and elders of Nimba County to please stand. And those from Grand Gedeh County, please stand. Senator Prince Johnson wants to see a genuine relationship. The relationship between him and I is now loosened. The end of that link has dropped in Nimba County, and I am holding on to mine.
“So, I come to you today, the leaders, elders, citizens of Nimba County, I want to take this link to lie it on to Nimba. The link from Grand Gedeh that is on my waist now I want to loosen it and tie it on to Grand Gedeh. It is about time.
“Thirty-five years ago, Grand Gedeh and Nimba, prior to 1990, we were brothers and sisters. Now, today we have Grand Gedeh County in Nimba County. And today we have Nimba County in Grand Gedeh. But we as leaders of these two counties have not had the guts to be able to meet and reconcile. So, I urge you and want to remind you that the relationship between Prince Johnson and I was genuine. There was no gossip. So, if we all agree to take this relationship to that level, I challenge you that we should lead a truthful and honest life,” Senator Nimely said to thunderous applause from the crowd that thronged Ganta City from the nine districts in Nimba and parts of Grand Gedeh County to pay their last respect to the fallen Senator.
Buying time Against the War Crimes Court
According to Senator Nimely, the late Nimba County senator was someone who never ceased to call on him at odd hours of the night to discuss burning national issues, but most especially the issue of a war crimes court for Liberia to indict former warlords and those bearing the greatest responsibility for the atrocities civil conflict.
“Senator Prince Johnson came to this country as a former warlord, but he opened a church, and he started preaching for the past twenty years. Why was he preaching? Did anybody ask that question? He was preaching for redemption. He was preaching for forgiveness. For 20 years. Those of you who relate to the Bible every day, what does God tell you about forgiveness? How many times should you pray for forgiveness from God before he should forgive you? That Prince Johnson will pray for 20 years that he cannot be forgiven by you the ordinary people of Liberia?
“Senator Prince Johnson prayed for 20 years. He always wanted to buy time to pray and to serve his people. So, every time a president came, he would go and say, I will make you president, but I want you to buy me time. He did that with President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, and President Sirleaf at the time when there were 15,000 UN soldiers in this country, that she had the opportunity to prosecute war crimes, and she said to him, when you make me president, I will buy your time. And he went from village to village to campaign for Ellen Johnson to be president because he wanted time. President Johnson became President, and she bought him time for 12 years.
“People went to Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, and they said, ‘why aren’t you bringing war crimes court?’ She said, ‘look at the country. Nobody is talking about war crimes. People are worrying about the next daily bread. They are worrying about their children going to school, they are worrying about hospitals.
“So, Prince Johnson bought time for 12 years, and when Ellen Johnson left power, President Weah came with his pro-poor program, and he said if that is pro-poor, that’s the man I can talk to. I need to buy some time. He went to President Weah and said, I will make you president. I want to buy time to serve my people. And President Weah, ‘when you make me president, I will buy you time’. He got out to Nimba County and across Liberia and he campaigned, and President Weah became president. And when the citizens asked President Weah, he said, ‘Ellen Johnson Sirleaf came, spent 12 years and did not bring about a war crimes court. I am not bringing a crime court.
“Senator Johnson enjoyed six years building schools and relating to his people. When President Weah’s term ended, when he heard about the Rescue Mission, he said, ‘Weah I am not going to support you. I am going to support the Rescue because I want to be rescued. He went to Rescue and did more than what he did for Ellen Johnson Sirleaf and Weah. He produced a Vice President and produced a President, simultaneously. And he was promised time. But he was promised time. But when the time came, the time that was promised to him was never given.
“Senator Johnson was troubled. He called me at 10 o’clock in the night. He said ‘Distinguished’, and I said, ‘My brother, what is the problem?’ He said, ‘I am troubled. I was promised time, I was not given time. And now we are talking about war crimes court.’ And I said to him, ‘when they touch you, they will touch me. Nobody will prosecute you.’ He said, ‘Are you sure?’ And I said, ‘Go and sleep’.
“And at one point, he went out and the children were interviewing him, and I believe the press was bombarding him with questions, and things were out of control, then he called me. And I said to him, ‘touch one, touch all.’ And we went to the press, and he said on radio, ‘touch one, touch all’. Then I called him the following and told him, ‘You don’t have to say that. It is understood. There are 106,000 ex-combatants in this country, most of whom are in AFL, EPS, Immigration, motorbike riders, taxi drivers. You will not be prosecuted. Every hand in this country has a bloodstain, and you will not be singled out. When will Senator Johnson be forgiven?
“There was a resolution that came from the House of Representatives, where the representatives signed the resolution for war crimes court, and that resolution was sent to the House of Senate. And we rushed that resolution and signed it in the absence of Senator Johnson. He was not in chambers at that time. The following day, he came to work and met us going up and down with that resolution. Twenty-eight of us had already signed. Some of my colleagues from the Southeastern region refused to sign saying if Tomas Yaya Nimely doesn’t sign, they will not sign. I went to them and said, ‘go and sign, I am going to sign it.
“So, we signed the document. Senator Johnson came to work that morning and one of the senators told him that the senators had already signed the resolution. And he asked a question. He said, ‘did Senator Nimely sign?’ I was sitting right behind him. He never saw me because he was concerned. And they said yes, ‘Senator Nimely signed’. He grabbed the paper and jerked the paper. I thought he was going to tear it. And he signed. When he went home, by 10:0’clock, he called me. He said, ‘Distinguished, why did you sign the document?’ I did not have an answer for him. And I said, ‘you signed’, he said ‘yes’. I said, ‘leave it. Let it go. You will not be prosecuted,” Senator Nimely further narrated.
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