Part II: Reasons To Revoke Madam Sirleaf’s Nobel Prize

By Gibson W. Jerue

Reason II

I have given number one reason why Madam Sirleaf’s Nobel Prize should be revoked. I discussed her role in the Nimba Raid in 1983 that led to the death of tens, perhaps hundreds of people. A person who instigates political turmoil, strife, rebellions, arm struggle and anarchy is not qualified to get a peace prize. During the Nimba Raid, several Nimbaians were arrested, detained and later released. Those were Kaloungo Luo, Moses Duopu and others. While in detention at the National Security Agency (NSA) Kaloungo Luo admitted that they “put Quiwonkpa into this thing,” and confessed that “it was Madam Sirleaf’s Sirleaf’s idea”, but nobody bought his accusation then. Samuel Doe was not in the position to trouble Sirleaf because it would have erected strong political stumbling blocks for him. So Sirleaf was not arrested, but I guess the security had their eyes fixed on her.

In 1984, when Sirleaf started her political offensive against the Doe regime, and insulting Doe publicly, the feud between her and the regime ignited. She described Doe as a “fool leading a bunch of ignoramus”. At another interview with journalists of the Daily Observer, the Examiner and the Liberia News Agency, etc, Sirleaf said, “I don’t think Doe a fool to arrest me”, when journalists pressed her as to whether that was not an insult to the president, she replied, “I don’t think so, fool is a word in the dictionary…” Now that we have laid the basis to prove that Sirleaf is not a peace-loving person, we will not proceed to reason number two.

For the second reason, we will discuss Madam Sirleaf’s involvement in the abortive Invasion of November, 1985. At this time, the failure of Nimba Raid had emboldened Sirleaf, Quiwonkpa, Prince Johnson, and the late Isaac Musah who was then a Sergeant, and had basically united Doe’s foes against him. Now before we go deeper into the second reason which is the 1985 invasion and a brainchild of Sirleaf, let’s talk briefly about how Doe’s enemies were united.

The People’s Redemption Council (PRC) came to power comprising people without political education. All 17 full members were Samuel Doe, Thomas Weh-sahn, J. Nicholas Podier, Thomas G. Quiwonkpa, Nelson B. Toe, Swen Dixon, Larry Borteh, Jacob Swen, Harris Johnson, Fallah G. Varney, Abraham Kollie, Jerry Gbatu, Albert Toe, Harrison Pennue, and another I cannot remember now. These PRC men were mentored by Gabriel Baccus Matthew, Dr. Togba Nah Tipoteh, Dr. H. Boima Fahnbulleh, Jr., Dr. George S. Boley, Cllr. Chea Cheapo, and other well educated Liberians. They wrote the decree of the PRC that entangled the coup makers.

In mid-1981, the first victims of their decrees were Thomas Weh-sahn, Nelson Toe, Harris Johnson, Robert Sumo and Henry Zuo. They were accused of attempting to over throw the PRC were executed. Whether that was true or not is not the focus of this piece. But Podier and Quiwonkpa insisted that the law/decree number one was if any member tries to overthrow the government should be put on firing squad. Podier wanted to be Vice Chairman and Quiwonkpa felt that for a Gborho man and a Sarpo man to be head of State and vice head of state was having two Krahn men in the two most powerful positions. Even worst was Nelson Toe serving in the position of Senate Pro-temp and that makes three Krahn men in the three powerful positions of the Liberian governments under PRC.

By the time those five guys were killed, Podier killed, Larry Borteh dismissed [killed later in 1990 by Prince Johnson], Quiwonkpa promoted [or demoted] to the Secretary of Interim National Assembly (INA), with bunch of other coups and attempted coups [whether fake of real], Doe had much to contend with. It was no longer about PRC or INA, it was about Samuel Doe killing people, etc. By 1985 Ellen and others, including Jackson F. Doe, was heavily involved with national politics. Doe had also made several mistakes, like ordering the Defense Minister, Gray D. Allison, and Chief of Staff, Henry Dubar, to move on the University of Liberia Campus, the public sentiments had consumed most of the citizenry. So the common thought from the political heavy weights, like Sirleaf was to remove by hook or crook.

Like Prince Johnson and Charles Taylor had often accused Sirleaf of masterminding the November abortive invasion. She has never denied that one day. The point is how can this woman who had masterminded two conflicts already be qualified for any peace award? We all know how the country bled profusely when scores of people were killed just because Sirleaf and others wanted power. The Nobel Peace Committee did not do a fair job, at least not for the people of Liberia to have awarded Sirleaf a peace prize, not even a thank you she does not deserves.

Reminder of Nobel’s objectives on peace award:

“The Peace Prize is one of five prizes that have been awarded annually since 1901 under the auspices of the Nobel Foundation in Stockholm for outstanding contributions in the fields of physics, chemistry, physiology or medicine, literature, and peace. Whereas the other prizes are awarded by specialist committees based in Sweden, the Peace Prize is awarded by a committee appointed by the Norwegian Storting. According to Nobel's will, the Peace Prize is to go to whoever "shall have done the most or the best work for fraternity between nations, for the abolition or reduction of standing armies and for the holding and promotion of peace congresses".