The death is announced of Mr. Osmund L. Woods, Sr., which sad event occurred in New Haven, Connecticut, United States of America, on May 28, 2016. He was in his 76th year.

Osmund was born September 29, 1940 in the City of Monrovia unto the union of Eshmere Tyson Woods and Viola Elfreda-Scott Woods. Osmond was the second of six boys.

His mother being a housewife and his father a school teacher in the Lutheran School System, Osmund and his brothers began their education at home with their parents up to the 6th grade when their father was assigned to the Zorzor Lutheran School. In 1947, his father obtained a job with the Liberian
Government School System, which provided him the opportunity to establish the Ziggida Public School. This was the first school in all of Western Province, now Lofa County.
Osmund and his elder brother, Dr. Emile T. Woods (deceased), accompanied their father to Ziggida and were enrolled in the school where their father served as principal.

It was in Ziggida that the Woods brothers met and befriended John Togbakollie, who had been recruited by their father, Tyson Woods, to attend the school in Ziggida. Mr. Woods was mandated by the government of President William V.S. Tubman to recruit at least four boys from each District to attend the school. The Woods brothers soon became attracted to John Togbakollie, who was a bright student. Mr. Woods later transferred several of the students, including his sons and John, to Zorzor to continue their elementary education.

At a certain point, Mr. Woods told John that the Woods brothers were being sent to Monrovia to attend the College of West Africa (CWA). Mr. Woods asked John if he wanted to go to Monrovia along with Emile and Osmond, to attend CWA. Said Mr. Woods to John, “If you stay here in Zorzor, you will complete 8th grade, but that is as far as you will be able to go, and you might return to your village, remain a village boy, and you may forget what you have learned so far.

Kenneth Y. Best, in his book on Albert Porte, quoted John as saying, “It was an offer I could not refuse.” John gratefully accepted Mr. Woods’ offer and he and the Woods brothers traveled to Monrovia and enrolled at CWA. Emile, the eldest, graduated from CWA along with a young lady called Ellen Johnson (later Sirleaf) in 1955. John graduated from CWA in 1960, classmate of Thelma Traub Awori, Liberian Consul General in Kampala, Uganda.

Osmond graduated with a high school diploma from CWA in 1962.

The following year Osmund entered the University of Liberia where he studied Business Management. He served as a cadet to the late Associate Justice Ephraim Smallwood. In his senior year he left the university to obtain a full time job with the Department of the Treasury, now Ministry of Finance and Development Planning, in the Electronic Data Processing Department.

In 1966 Osmund married Ms. Anna Swarray, and their union was blessed with several children—Osmund L (Beever) II, Jim, Leana, Eshmere Tyson, Ann-Marie and Vera.

Mr. Osmund Woods is survived by two of his brothers, John Togbakollie Woods and Amahrue N. Woods, Snr. and three sisters- Clarice Karloweah, Lady Van, Evangeline Woods and Ophelia Woods, a host of grandchildren, nieces, nephews and cousins.

A memorial service is scheduled to be held in Monrovia simultaneously with his funeral services in New Haven, Connecticut, USA on June 17, 2016.

A family meeting in Monrovia will be announced later. Friends and sympathizers may contact John T. Woods or Clarice Kaloweah at # 0886564070, or 0770564070, for further information.

The death is announced of twhich sad event occurred at her Paynesville home on Thursday, June 16, 2016, at 5:45 a.m., following a brief illness. She was 92.

Madam Howe was born on April 6, 1924 at Spring Hill, Harper, Cape Palmas, unto the union of John and Louisa Howe.

She was baptized in the Episcopal Church of the Annunciation at Spring Hill, Harper.

She began her early education in Harper and later her parents moved her to Monrovia, where she obtained her secondary education.

She later returned to Harper and became secretary to the Supervisor of Schools.

In 1971 she was elected Member of the House of Representatives, and served until April 1980. While in Monrovia she became an active member of St. Stephen Episcopal Church, serving in many organizations including the Usher Guild until she reached her late 80s.

Madam Howe’s survivors include her sister, Sophie Howe; her daughter, Mrs. Cecelia Gallup; grandchildren Daniel Harmon, Anthony, Jonathan, Shane and Louisa Gallup; great grandchildren Shana, Christopher, Elijah and Magnolia, Daniel, Simantha, Micah, and Madia; many nieces and nephews; and a host of other relatives.
Funeral arrangements will be announced later.

Madam Thelma Neyah Janegah Wordsworth, one of Bensonville’s eldest citizens, if not the eldest, died last Thursday, June 23, 2016, in Mooingah, Bensonville, following a brief illness.

She was the widow of Jomboh Wordsworth, a police officer raised by the distinguished Wordsworth family of Careysburg City, Montserrado County.

Ma Janegah’s marriage to Mr. Wordsworth was blessed with four children—three daughters and a son.

Ma Neyah Janegah was born in Bensonville on June 10, 1913, a month after President William Richard Tolbert Jr., who was born on May 13 of that year. Her parents were Oldman Suasu Flomo of Belle Yella District, then Lofa County, and Mrs. Yongor Jena Flomo, also of Bele Yella. Oldman

Suasu came to Montserrado on a military assignment. On his return home he was stopped and had to return to Montserrado. He settled in Careysburg, where the Wordsworths took him in.

Pa Suasu and Ma Yongor were already married in Bele Yella when he left on his military assignment. She later joined him and they settled in Moingah, Bensonville, where their children were born, raised and obtained their elementary education.

Survivors include her three daughters, Mrs. Pauline Yarsieh, Mrs. Jenneh Boima and Mrs. Thelma Mehn; 15 grandchildren, 12 great grand and one great, great grandson, nearly three months old.

According to daughters Jenneh Boimah and Thelma Mehn, funeral arrangements will be announced later.

The Paasewe Family in the United States and Liberia has announced with deep regrets the home going of the Rev. Fr. Charles Letombor Paasewe, Rector of the Episcopal Church of the Good Shepherd of Paynesville, Monrovia, Liberia.

This sad event occurred on Thursday, June 16th, 2016 at the John F. Kennedy Memorial Hospital in Monrovia.

Charles Letombor Paasewe was born in Robertsport, Grand Cape Mount County on May 21, 1957 to the union of Mr. Joseph Bai Paasewe, Sr. and Mrs. Irene Gbessi Jalieba-Paasewe, the fourth child of their union. His parents were disciplinarians and spared no efforts in raising him and all the other children of their home.

Charles obtained his elementary and high school education in Robertsport, graduating from high school in 1981.
Eager to advance himself academically, Charles matriculated to the Gbarnga School of Theology (GST). Upon his graduation from GST, he was ordained Deacon on November 1, 1989 and priested on May 8, 1990, by the late Most Rev. George D. Browne, Archbishop of the Province of

West Africa and Bishop of the Episcopal Church of Liberia.

Rev. Fr. Paasewe became Rector of the Episcopal Church of the Good Shepherd in the 1990’s and served his parishioners faithfully, especially during the heat of the Liberian Civil Crisis. Under his leadership, the Church of the Good Shepherd increased its membership and expanded the church’s ministry with a Good Shepherd Mission church at Pipe Line.

A family spokeperson said Fr. Paasewe’s love and passion for children in his church and the community impacted his ministry in a meaningful way. “He was a humble Priest. He embodied and demonstrated the qualities of a servant of our Lord Jesus Christ who commanded us to sacrificial living and to “love one another …As I have loved you” (John 13:34). Throughout his ordained ministry, he had the passion for serving his parishioners. He always carried smiles and made jokes with the young and old alike.

Rev. Fr. Charles Letombor Paasewe was predeceased by his parents Bai, Sr. and Irene Paasewe; and his sister Ronate Paasewe-Smith.

Survivors include his beloved wife Gloria Boayue Paasewe, his children: Alma Teta Thompson (T-Toe), Izena Mingo Jones, Adjeiley Obedekah Taylor (Antwan) of the United States, and Ngafua Kollie of Liberia; grandchildren; brothers; sisters; uncles; nieces; nephews; and a host of other relatives and friends in Liberia, Sierra Leone, United States and Australia.

The body will be removed from the Samuel A. Stryker Funeral Parlor on Friday, July 8, 2016, at four o’clock p.m. and taken to the Episcopal Church of the Good Shepherd for a night of wake-keeping.

According to Episcopal Diocesan Bishop Jonathan B.B. Hart, all tributes, except those of the Church of the Good Shepherd, the Episcopal Church of Liberia and the family, will be paid at the wake.

The funeral mass will take place on Saturday, July 9, at nine o’clock a.m. at Trinity Cathedral, Broad Street, Monrovia, following which the cortege (funeral procession) will depart for Robertsport, Grand Cape Mount County, for interment at the St. John Irving Memorial Episcopal Church Cemetery.

The government of Liberia has announced with profound regret the death of Dr. Edward B. McClain Jr., Minister of State for Presidential Affairs and Chief of Staff to President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf.

Dr. McClain died on Saturday, July 23, 2016 at 2:55 a.m. at the Wilgers Life Hospital in Lynwood, Pretoria, South Africa. He was in his 72nd year.

Dr. McClain was a product of the College of West Africa (CWA), a renowned high school in Monrovia, run by the United Methodist Church since 1839. Most of his siblings attained their secondary education at CWA. His eldest brother, John Weseh McClain, graduated from CWA in November 1955 as the dux of his class, along with several classmates who became outstanding Liberians, including President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf.

Leaving CWA, Edward, affectionately called “Bobby,” matriculated to Cuttington College and Divinity School (now Cuttington University), where he took the BSc degree, majoring in Chemistry and Biology. Among his Cuttington classmates were his best buddy, Dr. Taylor Neal, a prominent

Liberian dentist; Dr. Foday Kromah, a geologist and former Minister of Lands, Mines and Energy; Mrs. Gwendolyn Gooding Wilson; Samuel Butcher, who became a mathematician and served as principal of high schools in California, USA; Henry Baker, who became a lawyer; and Thomas
Brima, former Superintendent of Lofa County, former Minister of Internal Affairs and former Liberian Ambassador to Sierra Leone.

Leaving Cuttington, the brilliant Bobby entered the University of Besançon, France, where he qualified as a Doctor of Psychiatry.

Following his graduation, he spent some years in Abidjan, La Cote d’Ivoire, where he became a close associate of Madam Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, whom he later came to work for as Minister of State for Presidential Affairs. Before then he served as a key member of her political campaign for the presidency.

Since his return from Abidjan, Dr. McClain did not practice his profession as psychiatrist, though he was one of only two Liberian psychiatrists in country, the other being Dr. Benjamin Harris, who is engaged with the John F. Kennedy Medical Center. Dr. Harris confirmed to the Daily

Observer that Dr. McClain never really practiced psychiatry in Liberia. Dr. Harris, however, recalled that he consulted with Dr. McClain on a number of occasions, and that the two of them on few occasions did joint consultations with prisoners in Monrovia.

Minister Dr. Edward B. McClain Jr. was born in Monrovia on November 18, 1944, unto the union of Mr. Edward B. McClain Sr. and his wife, Mrs. Florence McClain, daughter of Mr. William R. Tolbert Sr. She was the eldest sister of Senator Frank E. Tolbert, President William R. Tolbert Jr. and the eminent Liberian business tycoon and former Agriculture Minister Steve Tolbert (during the Tubman administration).

Mr. Edward B. McClain Sr., father of Dr. Bobby McClain Jr., hailed from the Mhanwruune Quarter of Picnicess, in Grand Kru County. The McClains are related to the Nelsons, of which former Internal Affairs Minister Blamo Nelson is a prominent exponent. Being from the same Quarter in Picnicess, the Nelsons consider the McClain males as uncles.

Mr. Edward B. McClain Sr. came to Monrovia as a very young fellow and was raised by the McClain family in the capital city. In appreciation to that family that afforded him a sound education, Edward adopted McClain as his surname. However, the real name of his father was Boka Worjloh.

While in Monrovia, Edward B. McClain Sr. fell in love with Ms. Florence Tolbert, eldest daughter of Mr. William R. Tolbert Sr., a onetime Chairman of the True Whig Party, a staunch Baptist and a farmer and landholder in his native Bensonville, Montserrado County (now known as Bentol).

Edward and Florence McClain went on to bring forth many highly talented children, at least two of whom became medical doctors. Their eldest daughter Genevieve became the first Liberian female Accountant and rose to become Chief Accountant at the Department (now Ministry) of Public
Works. At least two of the McClain children, eldest brother Weseh and youngest sister Vashti, are also Harvard graduates, and several of their siblings hold doctorate degrees. The former President of the National Oil Company of Liberia, Dr. Randolph McClain, a product of Ricks Institute, took the PhD degree in Chemical Engineering.

Dr. Edward B. McClain Jr. chose as his wife Ms. Gwendolyn Pierre, daughter of the late former Supreme Court Chief Justice James A.A. Pierre. She lives in Atlanta, Georgia, USA.

According to an Executive Mansion release, the State and Presidential Affairs Minister, and Chief of Staff to the President of Liberia died on Saturday, July 23, 2016 at about 2:25 am Central African time at the Wilgers Life Hospital in Lynwood, Pretoria, South Africa.

Funeral arrangements will be announced later.

Minister, Dr. Edward B. McClain – Minister of State for Presidential Affairs and Chief of Staff to the President of Liberia, was a dedicated public servant, a true patriotic, selfless and superb technocrat.

He was the “shock absorber” in the Office of the President who gracefully calmed the storms with unexpected, but great sense of humor so that the president wouldn’t have to deal with them.

Minister McClain was a devoted servant who worked for his country even during the peak of his illness. The last time I saw him was in April this year, when I took a token of my appreciation to him for his work. As usual, he greeted me and offered me a seat. Then I noticed he had an oxygen tank attached to him while he worked as if nothing was happening to him. I was shocked to see that level of commitment to duty. I gave him his gift, which was a desk clock with the inscription: “Dr. McClain, Minister of State for Presidential Affairs. Thank you.” I told him that seeing him work and keeping his sense of humor while he was so ill made me to appreciate his sacrifice to our country even more. Little did I know that I was speaking with him for the last time. I am thankful that I was able to give him his flower while he was alive.

The shared many jokes, but I remember two that caught me off guard:

1. I wrote the President a letter and took it to his office. I wrote HE (the abbreviation for Her Excellency) in addressing Madam President. Dr. McClain knew that was what I meant because he had seen that a million times; but in his usual jovial fashion, he took a quick look at the letter and asked me: “Madam, did you read what you wrote? Taking him seriously, I said, “yes.” Then he asked “ooh so you really meant to refer to the first female president of Africa as HE and not SHE?” It was so funny because it is not just what he said, but how he said it.

2 I remember calling him about a serious concern I had and decided to discuss it with him. When he found out that I was serious and somewhat uneasy about it, he asked me to hold on for him to grab a notepad and a pen. He listened to me until I paused. Then he asked me: “all that talking that you are doing there, do you know something even bigger has happened to you? Do you know what has happened to your Nimba County?” His questions took my mind off the issue I was discussing with him and I asked: “What has happened to Nimba?” Dr. McClain replied:

“Grand Bassa County has just whipped Nimba County in a football game.” I laughed so much that I completely calmed down. That’s the kind of person that Minister McClain was.

Dr. McClain was not just a dedicated public servant. He was a man who worked hard, but kept a low profile. I never heard him out there boasting about his qualifications, or bragging about his ability to speak a number of international languages. He never complained of being tired to work.

Dr. McClain ate at his desk and always offered those around him whatever it was that he was eating.

I will certainly miss him, not only for the work he did for our country, but also because he was one person in the Office of the President who could relate to me – receiving and returning my calls. Such patriotic, committed and selfless people are hard to find. This is one of the reasons why he will be truly missed. Truly, a national hero has fallen. But I am glad that, at least, I was able to let him know that his deeds and work were appreciated.

Doc, thank you again. Thank you for your contributions to your country, Liberia. Sleep well, and goodbye, Doc. May your precious soul rest in peace.

Liberia’s oldest woman, who was on July 24, 2016 decorated by President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, has died in Paynesville.

Madam Klayonoh Bleaorplue, who was reportedly born on March 7, 1863, during the American Civil War, died on August 2, 2016 at the residence of her relatives in Bernard Farm close to the old Omega Station in Paynesville.

According to a senior member of the family, Madam Bleaorplue got ill as a result of a motor accident which occurred near the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, shortly after being decorated by President Sirleaf.

Following the honouring ceremony, Madam Bleaorplue started feeling pain in her chest and was rushed to the John F. Kennedy Memorial Hospital in Sinkor.

At the JFK Hospital in Monrovia, a family member told the Daily Observer Thursday, Madam Bleaorplue was attended to by doctors and nurses in the Emergency Room (ER).

A family member also added that the centenarian was hospitalized for a week and discharged on the 2nd of August and taken home where she quietly passed away at home the same day.

The family told the Daily Observer that extensive preparations are underway by prominent Nimba citizens and other individuals to give Madam Bleaorplue a fitting burial soon.

Madam Bleaorplue was in early May discovered to be Liberia’s oldest or longest living person by a longevity researcher, the noted Liberian herbalist Kpakae L. Roberts, who has established a research center to conduct research on centenarians in order to establish a Blue Zone area for Liberia.

The major purpose of the research is to validate the authenticity of their ages, find out why they hardly ever get sick and the secret of their longevity for the benefit of others.

Madam Bleaorplue hailed from Kelley and Dubuzon, between lower Grand Gedeh and Nimba counties.

In a brief exclusive interview with Daily Observer last Thursday, a prominent Liberian, Philip Morton Simpson, born during the administration of the late President Edwin J. Barclay, urged the Liberian Government to work out modalities for the placement of Madam Bleaorplue in the Guinness

Book of Records as the world’s oldest living person.

Such initiative is critically important, Mr. Simpson noted, because it is a distinct credit to Africa and to Liberia in particular, since this oldest African republic was able to produce the world’s oldest living person, far ahead of the Japanese woman that was 117 years on her recent birthday celebrated in Japan.

Madam Gillian Lorba Tulay Moore, a prominent Liberian educator and widow of Liberia’s celebrated cultural icon, Bai T. Moore, died at 11:25 p.m. last Thursday, August 11 at the St. Joseph’s Catholic Hospital as a result of heart failure.

A family member told the Daily Observer that Mrs. Moore, 77, broke her hip some time ago while “moving fast” at her Sinkor Old Road residence.

On Tuesday, August 9, her illness became serious and she was rushed to the St. Joseph’s Catholic Hospital, where doctors and nurses that attended to her diagnosed her condition as heart failure.

The doctors initially assisted Mrs. Moore with lifesaving support, but were unable to prevent her ultimate demise, after which her body was taken to the Samuel Stryker Funeral Home on Tubman Boulevard in Sinkor.

Family sources disclosed that her body will be removed from the Samuel Stryker Funeral Home on September 9, and taken to the St. Thomas Episcopal Church on Camp Johnson Road for a night of wake-keeping; the funeral will then be held the following morning at the Sacred Heart Cathedral on Broad Street.

She will be buried alongside her late husband, Bai T. Moore in Dimeh Town on the Monrovia-Bomi highway on September 10.

Mrs. Tulay Moore was wedded to Bai T. Moore on January 28, 1968, at the St. Thomas Episcopal Church on Camp Johnson Road, Monrovia.

She leaves to mourn four children, Sando J. Moore, photojournalist and publisher of the monthly Images magazine; Mrs. Jacquelyn Moore Russell of the United States; Bai T. Moore Jr. of Monrovia; and Tito Moore Kesselly of Monrovia.

Mrs. Gillian Lorba Tulay Moore started her early primary education at the Bolahun Holy Cross Mission in the former Kolahun District, now Hassawoma District, in Lofa County in the early 1950s.

She matriculated to the St. Teresa Convent, a Catholic high school for girls in Monrovia.

Following her graduation from St. Teresa Convent, she entered the University of Liberia (UL) and graduated from the W.V.S. Tubman Teachers College in 1964 with a degree in Secondary Education. She was reportedly the first woman from Kolahun District to graduate from college.

Mrs. Gillian Tulay Moore started her teaching career at the B.W. Harris Episcopal High School and continued there until the outbreak of the Liberian civil war in 1990.

She was adroit at writing poems and plays and also had a passion for doing small business enterprises.

Interestingly, her baked bread of all sorts was always sold at the front door of her home on the Sinkor Old Road in Monrovia.

Bobbin has been eulogized by his President and heads of foreign states, remembered by his colleagues, workmates, friends and acquaintances; and even those who knew him for only a few days have had good things to say about him. He was an unassuming person who wore his dignity, honor, and distinction very lightly. He was respected by his acquaintances and loved by his friends. His character secured for him a permanent place of affection in the heart of every one with whom he interacted.

God gave bobbin a calming and gentle spirit, a brilliant mind, an endearing demeanor, love for his country, commitment and dedication to duty, an amazing sense of humor, and a desire to see everyone he encountered happy. Then God put this awesome being into a body and sent him to Liberia to the McClain and Tolbert families to make this little corner of the earth a happy place.

In 1972 God joined this person to the Pierre family. At the time we did not know what a gift God had given us, but as Bobbin integrated himself into our family, we began to see what a blessing he was. He was not an in-law, but a son to our parents, a brother to us, and an uncle to our children.

He became an integral part of our family who was just as precious to Chief Justice James A. A. Pierre and Rebecca Pierre as any of their own children. Our parents loved Bobbin; and he showed them the same affection. He often spent hours in deep conversation with our father discussing a variety of subjects including religion, politics, law, medicine, and whatever topic came to his mind on any particular day. Our youngest brother called our father Ging-Ging, and Bobbin affectionately followed suit. I cannot remember ever hearing Bobbin call our father by any name other than Ging-Ging.

He was our brother. He was the calming voice whenever there were misunderstandings or fuss among the siblings, (which I’m sure every family has). He never took sides; he just gave advice and tried to soothe the waters of conflict.

He loved our children. He mentored them, counseled them and took care of them when they spent vacations with him and Gwen in New York. We will miss his wit, his laughter, his jokes and his ability to disarm any situation with his humor.

Now after all of these 71 plus years, Bobbin has come full circle. His body began to deteriorate. It became diseased and damaged, and he could no longer function in it as effectively as God had planned. God could have fixed Bobbin’s body, but He chose not to fix it. So on July 23rd at about 2:25 a.m., when his stay on earth was over and the time came for him to leave, Bobbin burst out of his broken body and happily took his father’s hand and went to heaven.

The specific work that God had put him on earth to do had been accomplished. I believe that he ran his race exceptionally well; he finished his course, and God has taken him home to rest.

How do I know that Bobbin is in heaven? Because at some point in his life he, of his own free will, made the conscious decision to make Jesus Christ his Lord and Savior. That is the blessed assurance that we, as Christians, have that he is in heaven with his God.

So we have come here today to assure you, family; to assure you, Madam President, colleagues, friends and acquaintances of Bobbin, that we have not lost him because we know exactly where he is. We know that he is in the loving care and keeping of his Heavenly Father; and we know for sure that if we accept Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior we shall see him again. One by one we will join him there in heaven; and I can imagine what a happy reunion that will be!!

For now, on behalf of the Pierre family, we deposit this wreath on the casket in which Bobbin’s body lies. In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the blessed Holy Spirit…amen, amen.

Mamadee Diakite, one of Liberia’s leading talk-show hosts, has died. The late Diakite, who passed away at 4 a.m. Tuesday, had reportedly succumbed to hypertension (or pressure as it is termed by ordinary Liberians). He died at the Seventh Day Adventist-owned S. D. Cooper Hospital on 12th Street in Sinkor, Monrovia. He was 42.

Diakite’s shocking demise followed the death of another young and brilliant media colleague, Mr. Lawrence Randall, a few weeks ago in the United States following a period of illness. Lawrence was the founder of the Liberia Media Center (LMC), which works in the areas of media development, access to information, transparency and accountability, and peacebuilding.

Before his death, Diakite was the general manager of the eight-month-old Prime Communications Network, including Prime FM 105.5. The station is owned by businessman Siaka A. Turay, who is the president and chief executive officer (CEO) of Aminata and Sons, Inc., which operates one of Liberia’s biggest gasoline retailing outlets.

Mr. Diakite, who was an Attorney-at-Law, was the lead presenter of the Prime Morning Drive, yet the leading program on Prime FM. Before he helped Mr. Turay open the station, Diakite became the leading voice behind the microphone of ‘The Truth Breakfast Show,” which is now hosted by two talented Liberian journalists.

It was on The Truth Breakfast Show, which is broadcast on Truth FM, that the deceased became very famous in the Liberian media landscape and among his media colleagues.

He is going to be fondly remembered for a famous, however, controversial statement he usually made whenever he was on the radio: “Our Motherland, Liberia, is getting better.”

His critics say he usually made the statement because he was a “regime collaborator;” and ordinary Liberians were still wallowing in abject poverty, while he sang and showered praises on the government.

Speaking to the Daily Observer, Kelvin Demey, Head of Radio at Prime FM, said the deceased will be missed for his “tolerance.”

“He was someone who was very tolerant with everyone; nothing easily moved him,” Demey said, with melancholy (sadness).

According to Demey, funeral rites will be said at the Newport Street Mosque on Wednesday, August 31, while interment follows at the Muslim burial plot in the Gaye Town Community, Old Road, at 2 p.m.

Mr. Alpha Diakite, a younger brother of the deceased, told this newspaper that a “tree,” which covered their entire family has “fallen.” Alpha added: “He was a good person; always willing to come to the aid of his family. We will miss him so dearly.”

He is survived by his wife, Fatumata S. Diakite and four children, the oldest being 12.

The Caine, Johnson, Ware, Fahnbulleh and Kiazolu families of Jundu, Grand Cape Mount County announce the peaceful transition, on August 18, 2016, of Mrs. Lydia Zoe Caine, loving mother and Aunt at the Duport Road, Paynesville residence of her children, Molley and Clarice Johnson. Ma Lydia was 99.

A family spokesperson said Ma Lydia was “the matriarch of the family and the ‘glue’ that connected us all.”

Born on May 6, 1917 in Jundu, unto the union of Augustus and Kpandi Caine, Lydia, at age 7 was brought by the Episcopal missionaries to Robertsport, where she entered the House of Bethany, the girls’ dorm at St. John’s Episcopal High School. She graduated in 1941.

In 1942 she practiced teaching at the J.D.K. Baker’s Elementary Community School in Robertsport and in 1943 she entered the Bromley Mission for training as a teacher.

The following year she returned to Robertsport as Principal of the St. John Episcopal Elementary, where the late Fr. Edgar Bolling Robertson was St. John’s Principal. She signed the certificates of the first group of Junior High students from the Episcopal village school. Members of that class included Dr. Abeodu Jones, the late Henry B. Fahnbulleh, Sr. and Hilary David.

In 1947 she enrolled at Liberia College and in 1952 obtained the BSc degree in Education from Teachers College in the now University of Liberia (UL).

She later obtained a USAID scholarship to attend the Western Michigan University, where she took the Master’s degree in Elementary Curriculum Development. She returned home and was employed in the Central office of the Ministry of Education as Deputy Director of Higher Education and Textbook Research. She worked with Dr. Doris Banks
Henries and a team of energetic young workers to develop several instructional programs to boost the school system in Liberia.

She was a member of the Association of Liberian Authors and in collaboration with the Ministry of Education, established a writing program with the assistance of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), UNESCO and UNICEF, the United Nations Children’s Fund.

Ms. Lydia Zoe Caine worked for many years at the Curriculum and Materials Center of the Ministry of Education with Madams Edna Wordsworth and Maude Major.

An outspoken, strong willed and “no-nonsense” person, Lydia Zoe lived a distinguished life, serving her country rather than choosing to leave Liberia during the civil war.

The President of the Republic of Liberia, Madam Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, conferred on her the Grand Master of the Order of Distinction, a national honor, in recognition of Lydia Zoe Caine’s long years of service to the Republic of Liberia.

President Sirleaf was quoted as saying that it was necessary to “give honor to those whom honor is due and to those who have stood the test of time in the principles for which they hold dear and sought to make their country a better one.”

A family spokesperson further stated, “We thank God for Ma Zoe’s love, long life and the contributions that she made to her beloved Liberia and the Liberian education system.”

“Aunty Zoe,” or “Ma Zoe,” as she was affectionately known by all, was a staunch member of the St. Thomas Episcopal Church. She was honored at the “Giving Back” program in November 2009 by the Liberian Chapter of the EHS/EES (Episcopal High School and Episcopal Elementary School) of St. John’s and House of Bethany, along with Mr. William Bruce, Justice Gladys Johnson, Dr. Emmet A. Dennis and other alumni.

Among her children and family members whom she nurtured and raised are Clarice Johnson, Roselyn Caine Egun, Etta, Irene, the late Victoria Caine Maxwell and the late Nina Wai Ware. Ma Zoe also helped to raise Augustus Fahnwullu and Miatta Caine, the children of her beloved brother, Augustus Feweh Caine. Fahnwullu and Miatta both lived with her during periods of their lives.

Ms. Lydia Zoe Caine was predeceased by her parents Kpandi and Augustus Caine, her sisters, Zoe Caine Ware and Tata Marlee and her brothers George Caine and Dr. Augustus F. Caine.

She is survived by her children Molley and Clarice Johnson, Florence Caine, lifelong friend Mother Mary Brownell, many nieces and nephews, including George and Margaret Caine, Gbour Wilson, Augustus Fahnwulu Caine, Miatta Tata Caine, Roseline Samuteh Caine Egun.

Others include George B. Caine IV, Elis Caine, Edwin and Bettie, Eugene Sando, Augustus Feweh Caine and many other relatives and friends, including Mrs. Cornelia Greene and John Hillary Tubman, son of President W.V.S. Tubman and Mrs. Jocelia Cranshaw Rancy.

The body will be removed from the Samuel Stryker Funeral Home at 4:30 p.m., Friday, September 16 and taken to St. Thomas Episcopal Church for an evening of wake keeping.

The funeral will take place at 9 o’clock a.m. Saturday, September 17th, 2016, following which the cortege will depart for Jundu for interment.

The death is announced of Mother Annie Kahn Gaye, which sad event occurred on Monday, August 22, 2016 in Grand Gedeh County, following a protracted illness. She was 67.

The late Mrs. Gaye was born on June 13, 1949 in Pour Town, Grand Gedeh County to the union of Mr. and Mrs. Kahn.

She accepted Christ as her personal Savior in 1970 in the Zayee Town Assembly of God Church, now White Chapel A.G. Church.

Mother Gaye was wedded to Mr. Borbor F. Gaye in 1966. This union was blessed with nine children, eight of whom have survived her. They are Esther, Amos, Mrs. Cecelia Gaye Diahn, Mrs. Susannah L. Gaye, Mrs. Evelyn Gaye-Tarn, Mrs. Theresa Gaye-Teah, Julie T. Gaye and Fester N. Gaye.

Mother Gaye’s husband predeceased her in the year 2000 in the Ivory Coast. A son, Alfred P. Gaye, also predeceased her.

Mother Annie Kahn Gaye is survived by eight children; 20 grandchildren; 11 great grandchildren; three brothers; several nieces and nephews and many other relatives in the Ivory Coast, other parts of Africa and in the United States.

The funeral will take place in Grand Gedeh County.

The death is announced of Mother Annie Kahn Gaye, which sad event occurred on Monday, August 22, 2016 in Grand Gedeh County, following a protracted illness. She was 67.

The late Mrs. Gaye was born on June 13, 1949 in Pour Town, Grand Gedeh County to the union of Mr. and Mrs. Kahn.

She accepted Christ as her personal Savior in 1970 in the Zayee Town Assembly of God Church, now White Chapel A.G. Church.

Mother Gaye was wedded to Mr. Borbor F. Gaye in 1966. This union was blessed with nine children, eight of whom have survived her. They are Esther, Amos, Mrs. Cecelia Gaye Diahn, Mrs. Susannah L. Gaye, Mrs. Evelyn Gaye-Tarn, Mrs. Theresa Gaye-Teah, Julie T. Gaye and Fester N. Gaye.

Mother Gaye’s husband predeceased her in the year 2000 in the Ivory Coast. A son, Alfred P. Gaye, also predeceased her.

Mother Annie Kahn Gaye is survived by eight children; 20 grandchildren; 11 great grandchildren; three brothers; several nieces and nephews and many other relatives in the Ivory Coast, other parts of Africa and in the United States.

The funeral will take place in Grand Gedeh County.

The death is announced of Mr. Lafayette K. Johnson, former Monrovia City Mayor and former Deputy Minister of Commerce and Industry.

This sad event occurred at his Sophie Ice Cream Community home at six o’clock a.m. on Friday, September 2, 2016, following a brief illness. He was 77.

Lafayette Kwia Johnson, Jr. was born on July 20, 1939, the eldest of 11 children of former Treasury Deputy Minister L. Kwia Johnson, Sr. and his wife Naomi.

Like many young Episcopalians of the 1940s and 50s in Monrovia, Lafayette grew up in the Trinity Sunday School, which was run under the dynamic leadership of Jacob Henry Browne, Superintendent.

After completing Lab High, Lafayette entered the University of Liberia and later left for Switzerland, where he obtained the M.Sc degree in Economics.

He served at one time as Assistant Minister of Commerce and rose to Deputy Minister. During the Tubman administration, Lafayette assisted with French translations at the higher level of government.

He later served as Mayor of the City of Monrovia.

Lafayette later retired from government and he and his wife, Mrs. Magdalene Cooper Johnson, who, like the Johnsons, hailed from Maryland County, started a wholesale business called LAFMAG International.

According to the widow, the funeral is planned for Friday, September 16, at 10 o’clock a.m. at St. Stephen Episcopal Church, 10th Street, Sinkor, Monrovia.

Removal will be from the Samuel Stryker Funeral Home at 4:30 p.m., Thursday, September 15 and taken to St. Stephen for wake-keeping.

His parents and a brother predeceased him.

Mr. Lafayette K. Johnson is survived by his wife Magdalene, several children, eight brothers, three sisters and many other relatives and friends.

Since his death, thousands of sympathizers and well-wishers have converged at different locations to bid journalist Mamadee Diakite farewell.

During the last memorial service on Saturday, September 3, at the Monrovia City Hall, President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, current and former government officials, businesspeople, media practitioners, friends and other well wishers were of the opinion that the late Mamadee was always tolerant when criticized during his talk shows, and would always contact an accused to hear his/her side.

Based on their facial expressions, the sympathizers just wanted to pay a tribute to Diakite; sadly, for the sake of time, all did not get the chance to do so. But the selected few who paid glowing tributes while shedding tears for the irreparable loss, spoke for all.

President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, struggling to control her emotions, stated, “One of the powerful forces in the society is the media. A nation is prosperous, a nation is blessed when the force is used responsibly…responsibility requires knowledge, the effort to obtain knowledge, the courage to be informed, to be balanced, truthful and to stand strong.”

She continued, “Responsibility requires patriotism and love for your country. Mamadee Diakite represented all of these.”

She added: “Our respect for him is demonstrated by all the many people who came out to bid him goodbye. When Mamadee’s story is written, when Liberia’s story is written, Mamadee will stand tall; for he was a professional journalist.”

The President said the fallen journalist will be remembered because he stood for what he believed without fear, and also believed in what he said and did.

Former Foreign Minister Augustine K. Ngafuan, in his poetic delivery said, “On the morning of August 30, the life candle of a brilliant young man was blown out by the dusty wind of death. And as a result of his passing from mortality to immortality, his beloved motherland, Liberia, and his beloved compatriots, Liberians, are still coming to grace his sudden passing.”

Ngafuan said he had some tough intellectual exchanges with Mamadee during their various interactions over the years, especially on his Truth FM Breakfast Show and the Prime Morning Drive; interactions reminiscent of those with former BBC journalist Robin White.

“He was forthright in his thoughts, but tolerant to views of those who disagreed with him fiercely.”

Although he did not always agree with the late Mamadee, Mr. Ngafuan said he nonetheless admired him for his perspectives, which exemplified the vibrancy of Liberia’s democracy.

Former Pro-Tempore and Grand Bassa County Senator Gbehzohngar Findley described the late Diakite as a “Giant” among journalists, noting that the turnout at his funeral and memorial service clearly attest to the fact that he was a giant.

Earlier, Presidential Press Secretary Jerolimek Piah, who was represented by his deputy Abel Plakeh, remembered Mamadee during the many shows on which he (Piah) participated.

Not trying to undo what his deputy said on behalf of the office of the Press Secretary, Mr. Piah did a rendition of the popular song, “Lord, I know not what tomorrow has for me”.

Former Information Minister Emmanuel Bowier said although Mamadee’s passing was everyone’s loss and shock, life, as a show, must go on.

He consoled the bereaved families and all by reminding them that “Death lays his icy hands even on kings.”

He said Mamadee was a humble person, whose death should be celebrated, not mourned. “He was a reconciler and respecter of people, especially older people,” Bowier added.

The Ministry of Youth and Sports’ Kula Fofana said Mamadee had played his role, for which the entire country is now remembering him.

She cautioned Liberian youths to consider how Mamadee is being honored after his passing so they could aspire to live better lives and that history will remember them for the best, and not for the worst.

Press Union Secretary Daniel Nya Konah said he, together with every Liberian journalist, will remember Mamadee Diakite for bringing a strong position on discussions of issues of national interest.

He said journalists are taught to bring their opinions backed by credible statistics and pieces of evidence, which Mamadee did exceptionally well.

Meanwhile, a group referred to as “Village” has opened a USD account at the Liberia Bank for Development and Investment (LBDI) where sympathizers who want to help the surviving families can contribute. The account number is 001-USD-403-897-521-01.

Barely have the tears dried from the eyes of members of the Liberian Media community, when they were again hard-hit with the news of the passing of a veteran journalist.

The Liberian Media Community had just laid to rest one of its strong, innovative and talented members—Mr. Lawrence Togar Randall—on Saturday when a few hours after the sad ceremony, news began to filter-in that Professor James Wolo had passed. He died at the John F. Kennedy Medical Hospital in Sinkor.

The Daily Observer was told that the Late Professor slid into a coma for a week and did not recover.

Speaking with this newspaper late Sunday evening, Mr. K. Abdullah Kamara, President of the Press Union of Liberia (PUL), extended deep sympathy on behalf of the Union for the irreparable loss to the bereaved family.

“Professor Wolo was a very resourceful person to media development in Liberia. He was always around the PUL whenever we needed him. He didn’t stop one day giving us good advice on how to run the affairs of the Union,” Mr. Kamara said, adding: “We will really miss him dearly.”

The PUL President said that Prof. Wolo, who was a senior faculty member of the Mass Communications Department of the University of Liberia, was so close to the Union that he participated in almost every major undertaking.

“As recently as last month, he had agreed to serve as one of the facilitators of a workshop organized by the PUL and the National Peace Ambassador, Rev. William R. Tolbert III. Unfortunately for us, he didn’t take part as he had just fallen ill when the date for the workshop arrived,” the PUL President stated.

The Union will release a statement today on Prof. Wolo’s passing.

Before his passing, Prof. Wolo, who was in his early 70s, served in many media capacities including Former Deputy Minister for Administration, Ministry of Information, Cultural Affairs and Tourism; Former Director-General, Liberia Broadcasting System (LBS); and Former Executive Producer, LBS.

He also served as a former presenter of the LBS post newscast daily inspirational program, “Thought for Today”; Former Community Relations Head, Liberia Rural Communications Network; and Former Producer, ELCM (Catholic Radio now Radio Veritas).

Other posts he occupied included Former Administrator, Save the Children, UK; Former Executive Producer, Mercy Corps Peace building Radio Project; Former Head, Media Monitoring and Development Unit, United Nations Mission in Liberia; Former Editor-In-Chief, Liberia News
Agency ( LINA); CEO, Media 2000, a media training and development firm; Lecturer, Communications and Public Affairs, Liberia National Police Training Academy; Lecturer, Development Communications, Mass Communications Department, University of Liberia; and Chairman of the Board, Association of Liberia Community Radio.

Of the many social media users who have been pouring in condolence messages on Facebook, one stated that the late Professor was also a Lecturer at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ run Foreign Service Institute (FSI), which trains Liberian diplomats for the field.

A memorial service will be held in the USA, after which his body will be flown home for funeral service and burial. Details will be announced later.

According to the Lott-Carey Mission Alumni Association, Jeremiah W. Walker left his hometown of Careysburg, Liberia to attend the Lott Carey Baptist Mission School (LCM) in Brewerville, in the early 1950s, he had no idea that the foundation he would obtain from LCM would have propelled him to national distinction and given him two stints as Superintendent of his Alma Mater, Lott Carey. This 1956 LCM graduate was a member of the class of eight individuals including: Bernard Benson, Stella Banks, Eudora Ash, Joseph Williams, Valerie Morris, William Gant and Manna Davis.

Upon his high school graduation, Rev. Dr. Walker traveled to the United States to attend Shaw University and earned his Bachelor of Arts in sociology. He matriculated to Howard University for graduate studies and obtained his Master’s in Divinity. Shaw University later bestowed upon him, the honors of Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) for his many accomplishments. Among his professional endeavors are: two distinct periods of services as Principal of Lott Carey; served as Director of Development and Dean of Students at Cuttington University, Suakoko, Bong County and simultaneously taught sociology and psychology.

While working as an educator, Dr. Walker also served as President of the Liberian Council of Churches, President of the Interfaith Council of Liberia, worked with the Baptist World Alliance alongside Liberia’s former President, William R. Tolbert, Jr. and was the first Chairman of the
Liberia Baptist Seminary. Dr. Walker was also president of the Liberia Principals’ Association.

Dr. Walker was ordained Pastor at the Bethesda Baptist Church, Washington, D.C. in 1964. In Liberia, he served as Pastor of the Mt. Galilee Baptist Church, Careysburg; as Pastor, St. Paul Baptist Church, Arthington; and Pastor and Pastor Emeritus, Zion Grove Baptist Church, Brewerville.

Rev. Dr. Jeremiah W. Walker received the Desmond Tutu Peace Prize, among several other national and international honors. He also received honors from the Lott Carey Mission Alumni Association-Liberia, of which he was most proud for his years of quality service to the school and the nation. During the Liberian civil war, Rev. Walker remained in Liberia and did not shut down the school until he had to and did not leave the country. During that period, Lott Carey conducted two graduation ceremonies while other schools were idle. Rev. Walker also found time to serve as head of the Peace Delegation for Liberia, which negotiated and eventually brought peace to the nation during its devastating civil conflict.

After 40 years of service, Rev. Walker retired in 2008 from the Lott Carey Baptist Mission School, and spent his remaining years with his family. Those who knew him well recall his mantra: “Everyone who comes into the world should leave a legacy of service.” In his own words, he was proudest “that I was able to serve the students of Liberia.”

Mr. Ambulai B. Johnson, a cousin of President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, and her Minister of Internal Affairs in 2006, has died in North Carolina in the United States. He would have reached his 72 by October this year.

He served as Deputy Minister of Labor in 1980 and former lecturer at Cuttington College now Cuttington University in 1970. The late Johnson also lectured at the University of Liberia (UL) in 1980.

Reports reaching the Daily Observer and confirmed by relatives yesterday, said Mr. Johnson lost his battle with cancer.

It may be recalled that during President Sirleaf’s first term, Mr. Johnson served as her minister of internal affairs but was forced to resign in 2010. At the time (2010) Mr. Johnson raised eyebrows in political circles when Presidential Sirleaf was planning to contest her second term and allegations surfaced that Mr. Johnson was involved in misrepresentation and had mismanaged in excess of US$1 million Nimba County’s Development Funds. The revelation was made by Senator Prince Y. Johnson, (Nimba County) who was then an independent candidate.

Senator Johnson further revealed that Minister Johnson used a letterhead from the President’s office, claiming ‘By Directive of the President’ and went into financial deals, pretending that they were sanctioned by President Sirleaf.

Prince Johnson also revealed that Johnson forged a letterhead from the Ministry of State and along with the Minister of Lands, Mines and Energy, Dr. Eugene Shannon, allegedly “played in the money” provided by Mittal Steel. Mittal Steel was to pay to Nimba County US$6 million over a four year period that would amount to US$1.5 million a year for the use of Nimba County’s resources.

However, Sen. Prince Johnson revealed, only US$5 million was deposited in Nimba County’s coffers at the time but could not state the whereabouts of the remaining US$1 million.

Senator Johnson meanwhile quoted President Sirleaf expressing anger over the communication written on the letterhead of the Ministry of State by Minister Shannon.

The Senator told journalists at the time that “The involvement of Minister Johnson in our money is discouraging, and disappointing. I have been to the President's office on several occasions on this matter, appealing to her to intervene but nothing has been done, and [Ministers]
Johnson and Eugene Shannon (are) just playing with the money.” President Sirleaf’s apparent initial inaction against Johnson and Dr. Shannon, brought a lot of embarrassment to the administration, according to reactions at the time, when it was also revealed that Mr. Johnson had built a mansion on Robertsfield Highway and also bought a Jaguar, a luxury vehicle.

As Johnson’s iniquities increased, President Sirleaf had no choice but to request her cousin to resign, which he did and the President accepted with relief, despite the embarrassment. Many said her decision won the President considerable support that greatly increased her chances for winning her second term in office.

When the death news hit Monrovia on Tuesday, many who heard it could only reflect on the events surrounding his resignation in 2010 and President Sirleaf’s bold step of asking him to quit the job.

Up to yesterday there was no official announcement of Mr. Johnson’s death and family members spoken to could not make any comment about information concerning his funeral arrangements.

Media veteran Professor James Kpateh Wolo, who passed on Sunday, September 11, is expected to be interred on Saturday, October 1, at the Johnsonville Cemetery.

According to an obituary announcement from the late Professor’s family, a quiet hour will be observed by the family and sympathizers at the St. Moses Funeral Parlor on Somalia Drive on Friday, September 30, at 7 p.m. This will be followed by a night of silent wake keeping at the home of the deceased in Area C, house # 67, Barnersville Estate.

“On Saturday October 1, the remains of Prof. Wolo will be removed from the St. Moses Funeral Parlor at 8 a.m. and taken to the Holy Martyrs Parish in Barnersville Estate where wake keeping will begin at 10 a.m. to be followed by the Mass of Resurrection at 11 a.m.,” a family statement said.

The family said all tributes, except for those from the Liberian government (reading of the Official Gazette), the Liberia Broadcasting System (LBS), the Church and the family, will be paid during the wake-keeping.

The Professor’s death came as another blow to the Liberian media community which had just laid to rest one of its strong, innovative and talented members—Lawrence Togar Randall—on Saturday, September 10. Few hours after that ceremony, news filtered in that Prof. Wolo, as he was affectionately called, had died at the John F. Kennedy Medical Hospital in Sinkor.

The Late Wolo had slipped into coma for a week and did not recover.

Prof. Wolo, who was in his early 70s, served in many media capacities, including former Deputy Minister for Administration, Ministry of Information, Cultural Affairs and Tourism; former Director-General, Liberia Broadcasting System (LBS); and former Executive Producer, LBS.

He also served as former presenter, LBS post newscast daily inspirational program, “Thought for Today”; former Community Relations Head, Liberia Rural Communications Network; and former Producer, ELCM (Catholic Radio now Radio Veritas).

Other posts he held included Administrator, Save the Children, UK; Executive Producer, Mercy Corps Peace building Radio Project; Head, Media Monitoring and Development Unit, United Nations Mission in Liberia and Editor-In-Chief, Liberia News Agency (LINA). He also served as CEO, Media 2000, a media training and development firm; Lecturer, Communications and Public Affairs, Liberia National Police Training Academy; Lecturer, Development Communications, Mass Communications Department, University of Liberia; and Chairman of the Board, Association of Liberia Community Radio.

Prof. Wolo was also a lecturer at the Foreign Service Institute (FSI), which trains Liberia’s diplomats for the field.

The late Wolo is survived by his widow, Mrs. Pricilla B. Wolo, eight children, several grandchildren, brothers and sisters, nephews, nieces and a host of other relatives and friends in Liberia, the United States of America, Ghana and other parts of the world.

Meanwhile, the LBS management has opened a Book of Condolence today for the late Wolo, who served as Managing Director of the system.

The ceremony, according to an LBS statement, is intended to remember the numerous contributions Prof. Wolo made while serving as the system’s Managing Director.

The Ministry of Finance and Development Planning (MFDP) is mourning the death of its Assistant Minister for Budget, Augustine Kaifa Blama, who died yesterday at the John F. Kennedy Memorial Hospital in Monrovia.

According to an MFDP announcement, Blama will be buried today, in line with his Islamic faith, in Nyandiayama, Lofa County, after prayers for the departed.

Finance Minister Boima S. Kamara, who led a senior management team to the deceased’s residence yesterday, described Blama’s death as a void left in the Ministry’s workforce, especially the Department of Budget and Development Planning, which he served with diligence and absolute loyalty.

While consoling Mrs. Blama and members of the bereaved family, Minister Kamara called on them to keep faith in the Lord, as he assured them of the Ministry’s full participation in all of the events before, during and after his burial.

Also sympathizing with the bereaved family, MFDP’s Deputy Minister for Budget and Development Planning, Tanneh G. Brunson, who served as immediate supervisor to the late Assistant Minister, indicated that he was one of her technicians who always executed his tasks and was in readiness to perform additional duties.

Meanwhile, MFDP staff described the late Minister’s sudden death as a shock, with many employees calling on the bereaved family to accept the death as the will of God.

They stated that some of the MFDP employees, who were either supervised by or directly interacted with the late Assistant Minister, indicated that he did not only serve as the nucleus of the budget section, but was always receptive and provided the needed guidance and encouragement to ensure that they acquired the requisite knowledge.

Prior to his appointment as Assistant Minister of Budget in 2014, Blama, who started working for the government in 2000, served in various positions in the securities sector, as well as the research and budgetary policy sector.

Some of the posts he held included Research Analyst; Budget Staff Analyst; Chief Senior Analyst; Controlling Principal Analyst; and Assistant Director General, Research Department at the erstwhile Bureau of the Budget, Ministry of Finance.