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

By Gibson W. Jerue

Reason I.

Madam Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf was one of many Liberian politicians and mischief makers who planned, strategized and executed the Nimba Raid that led to death of tens of people, especially in Nimba County. She induced her godson, the late Gen. Thomas G. Quiwonkpa to stage a revote against the Samuel Doe regime in 1983. That plan did not go well, and in the process Liberia did not only lose one of its finest military general, Robert Saye, but also scores of innocent civilians died.

Let’s look at what the Nobel Peace Prize is for. Nobel Foundation website states the following: “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".

Now let’s pick specific details here. The peace prize is awarded to a person who has done the “most or the best work” for “…fraternity between nations.” Pray tell me how did Madam Sirleaf work for fraternity, and between which nations? This is a mockery to say the least! This “Iron Lady has never even worked for fraternity between Liberians, how could anyone think she has worked for fraternity between nations. I am interested in knowing. What specific work did she do to build friendship between nations? Can the Nobel Committee give us just two countries on earth that Madam Sirleaf worked and brought together in peace?

As if that was not enough insult to the Liberian people, the Nobel Peace Committee says Madam Sirleaf worked for the “abolition or reduction of standing armies. Where? Which Country? This one is a pure fallacy. Madam Sirleaf was busy forming rebel groups and financing them to come and kill her own people, and the Nobel Committee says she worked to abolish or reduce armies. I am so disappointed that such an acclaimed international prize could go to someone who helped to kill nearly 250,000 of her compatriots.

But don’t jump yet, look at this one—that Madam Sirleaf was awarded the peace prize because she worked “for the holding and promotion of peace congresses.” Which peace congresses or conferences can be attributed to Madam Sirleaf, for God’s sake? We Liberians need to know how did this president actually promote peace congresses, and where? Before she became president, she was held meetings that only discussed rebel formation, or appeared at the U.S Congress to aske them to impose sanction on the entire nation because she did not like the sitting president. When she attended Liberian peace conferences, she only went there for the Liberian people to make her interim president. Which international conference does the Nobel Committee know about that Madam Spearheaded, like Kofi Annan is doing now, that they know we don’t know about? It is a complete slap in our faces by awarding peace prize to someone who made hell of our lives.

As we speak, the blood of those she helped rushed their early graves are crying to God for justice. And it is just a matter of time that God would grant their prayers. And for those of us who are alive, we only want justice and that justice will come no matter whether she was very old, walking with cane, blind, can’t hear, hardly walk. We will sit her in the wheel chair and wheel her to the court house to face her accusers, the Liberian people.

Watch for reason two soon.