Liberia-The death of one-time warlord, erstwhile head of the Independent National Patriotic Front of Liberia (INPFL), a splinter rebel group notorious for the capture and brutal killing of former President Samuel Kanyon Doe, and Senator of Nimba County is being received amongst Liberians with mixed-reactions – while others are stunned and grieving the sad event, others are humming celebratory sounds.
Senator Prince Yormie Johnson, aliased PYJ, passed away last week Thursday, November 28, following a very urgent health situation, according to family sources, at a local clinic in Paynesville where he was rushed after reportedly collapsing in the bathroom.
Instead of expressing commiseration for such irreparable loss of the distinguished citizen and statesman, someone who said he paid the price and laid the foundation for Liberia’s current democratic credentials, Liberians in their corners and on social media are mimicking and mocking his passing, apparently for his role in the devastation visited upon the country between 1989 and 2003 when the country was engulfed by the destructive flames of war.
While the entire atmosphere in his native Nimba County is saturated with sorrow, grief and wailing for the loss of the man they regarded as ‘god father’, a political tactician and liberator, the situation in Monrovia and across Liberia is less somber and decorous, evoking concerns as to whether he was a man of honor or dishonor.
PYJ, a celebrated son of Nimba County was elected to the Liberian Senate in 2005 in what many said was an approbation of his services to the country, defending the county’s interest against all odds during the course of the civil war as head of the Independent National Patriotic Front of Liberia (INPFL), a splinter rebel group that seized control of parts of Montserrado County and eventually captured former President Samuel Kanyon Doe.
After breaking away from the National Patriotic Front of Liberia (NPFL), the parent organization that propelled the rebel incursion against the government of former President Samuel Kanyon Doe, his forces seized a sway of territory for the Armed Forces of Liberia and fought the NPFL that sought to dislodge it.
Senator’s Johnson’s death has sparked a wave of tributes and reactions, with Liberians expressing a mixture of grief, reverence, and contention over the legacy of the controversial lawmaker.
Several Liberians, including current Vice President Jeremiah Koung, a close ally and protégé of the late senator, expressed sorrow over the loss.
“This is sad for me and the people of Nimba,” Vice President Koung lamented. “We delayed for hours hoping he might recover, but it became clear that we lost him.”
Colleagues in the Liberian Senate were visibly shaken by Johnson’s death. Senator J. Gbleh-bo Brown, Co-chair of the Senate Committee on Internal Affairs, described the late senator as an elder whose presence would be deeply missed. “We never got any clue that he had some illness, but again, these that are in our bodies, we don’t know what we have,” Brown said. “We’re going to miss him.”
Senator Brown revealed that Johnson had been actively preparing for public hearings on the newly proposed Local Government Act before his demise. “We want to express our deepest sympathy to the people of Nimba, his wife, and the family. Maybe that’s the way God wanted him to go,” Brown added.
Former President Pro-tempore Albert T. Chie also reflected on Johnson’s impact, calling him a straightforward and humorous colleague. “Each time he talked, he always made us laugh. He’s always to the point,” Senator Chie said, noting that Johnson often preferred silence during debates unless he had meaningful contributions.
Senator Johnson, who was one of Liberia’s longest-serving senators at the time of his death, represented Nimba County in four Legislatures: the 52nd, 53rd, 54th, and 55th.
During his tenure, he chaired several key Senate committees, including those on Security, Intelligence, and Veteran Affairs, as well as Internal Affairs, Governance, and Reconciliation. He also served as a long-time member of the ECOWAS Parliament in Abuja, Nigeria.
President Joseph Nyuma Boakai, in a statement from the Executive Mansion, hailed Senator Johnson’s contributions to the nation’s legislative development and reconciliation efforts.
“On behalf of the Government and people of Liberia, I extend heartfelt condolences to the Johnson family and the people of our industrious County of Nimba,” President Boakai stated. “While we may not have always agreed on the path our nation pursued, we recognize the impact of his work and his dedication to representing the people of Nimba County in the Liberian Senate.”
The President assured the Johnson family of the government’s support in honoring the late senator’s memory. Also, former President George Weah expressed sorrow over the passing of Senator Prince Johnson who supported him in 2017 to win the presidency of Liberia. The late Senator was instrumental in ensuring the Weah was elected to the presidency when he contested against now President Joseph Nyuma Boakai in 2017.
Several dignitaries, including Vice President Koung and lawmakers from across the political spectrum, visited the Johnson family home in Paynesville to offer their condolences. However, the scene also highlighted the senator’s divisive legacy.
Mamie Goffa-a stalwart of the Congress for Democratic Change (CDC) upon hearing the news of Sen. Johnson’s death, celebrated with dancing and singing saying that the late Senator betrayed her party and supported the Unity Party against George Weah in the 2023 Presidential Election.
Another Liberian, Michael Sirleaf, in a live Facebook broadcast, expressed celebration rather than sorrow over Johnson’s passing.
Sirleaf claimed that his mother had been killed by Johnson during the civil war. “I would have loved for Senator Johnson to face the War and Economic Crimes Court,” Sirleaf said.
Another victim, Joseph Kannah, also took to social media, writing, “Why should I waste my sympathies on Rebel Senator General Prince Johnson? RIP Dad, your killer just left to be judged.”
“He was a killer, a pathological killer responsible for the deaths of thousands of Liberians; he shot people dead at will, only to ask for them minutes later,” remarked Johnson Boe, a resident of New Kru Town who claimed the deceased Senator does not deserve any honor at all because of his complex life style which caused afflictions for most Liberians.
According to him, Johnson committed atrocious and grievous crimes against Liberians and the state, and it would be waste of precious time and resources to honor his memory through state-funded funeral.
Some Liberians danced upon hearing news of the passing of the Senator, and in the New Kru Town, the atmosphere was electric. “Let him die as many times as possible because he was responsible for the loss of former President Weah because of his greed and deceptive character,” said Oldma Comfort Gbeh, who claimed Johnson can’t be forgiven, even in the grave.
“He was a very bad character, who besides killing droves of Liberians, conducted and demonstrated similar depravity in politics, using his status in Nimba County to cajole and make fun of serious and committed Liberians who wanted to change the country.
The saturating public rebuff of Senator Johnson’s death, according to them, is not only shrouded in the public execution of a sitting president, but his unforgiving assassinations of Liberians, not only his fighters, in broad day.
Those who saw the former INPFL Field Marshal in action during his days on the Bushrod Island said they can’t forget the brutal form in which he took the lives of many citizens for “no justifiable reasons.”
“He should face justice instead of dying to feel and pay for his crimes and the agonies he put many in,” stated John Pennoh, who described the deceased Senator and former warlord as muster.
Amid these controversial statements, others called for respect and decorum. James Payne, during a phone-in on OK FM, criticized the jubilant reactions and called on Liberians to soberly reflect as a big tree has fallen. “It is unfortunate for folks to be jubilating over the death of Senator Prince Johnson,” Payne said. “Death is not for one person, and we should show some humanity even if we disagree with his past.”
To Senator Johnson’s supporters mostly Nimbaians, he was a patriot who championed the interests of his people. To his critics, he was a symbol of Liberia’s painful past-a warlord whose actions left indelible scars.
The senator’s body has been transferred to the Samuel Striker Funeral Home for preservation as the nation prepares for an official commemoration.
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