There are still ‘good people’ in Liberia, and Sylvester Grigsby was one

At a special memorial held by the Joseph Boakai Foundation in Liberia, Sunday, President Joseph Nyuma Boakai Sr. once more made it clear to pessimists that Liberia still has good people; but that you have to be one to know this truth, saying, his late Presidential Affairs Minister Sylvester M. Grigsby was indeed one such person, as Global Ekklesia reports.

By James Kokulo Fasuekoi|Editor-Publisher

A SPECIAL PICTORIAL BY AUTHOR

A special memorial in honor of late career diplomat, Hon. Sylvester M. Grigsby took place here in Monrovia’s Sinkor District suburb, Sunday, December 7, at the S.T. Nagbe United Methodist Church. A high-power government team that included President Joseph Nyuma Boakai, plus a host of the deceased’s relatives, friends, schoolmates, and foreign diplomats attended the event.

Late Grigsby’s diplomatic career spanned several decades during which he served more than three administrations including Samuel Doe, Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, and the present administration of President Joseph Nyuma Boakai. Positions he held included Minister of State for Presidential Affairs, Minister of State Without Portfolio, and Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs.

Late Minister Grigsby, a close friend of President Boakai, dating back to their school-days at College of West Africa (CWA), worked previously as superintendent for Sinoe County, a position much like Governor in the U.S. He later worked for the president’s charity JNB Foundation as Executive Director. The charity is based in Paynesville, Liberia.

Last year alone it donated tons of hospital supplies of all kinds including X-Ray, Incubator and Dental machines to hospitals across Liberia, aside from agriculture products and classroom chairs and benches.   

Hon. Grigsby passed away a few months ago while visiting Taxes, the United States, and was buried there. Late Grigsby was 75, and a Christian.

Present Liberia’s leader, H.E. Joseph Nyuma Boakai, a former schoolmate of late Hon. Grigsby dispatched a high-power delegation that included his son to the funeral in the U.S. during which they paid a special tribute on behalf of the government.

Besides being a lifelong diplomat Late Sylvester Grigsby became a leading media mogul in the 80s, operating a media empire which published the daily SunTimes Newspaper and a magazine called, Sun Rise. The two news media, edited by late renowned Liberian Journalist, Rufus M. Darpoh published fearless news articles at a time Liberia was ruled by military “decrees.”

Provoked by its publications the Samuel Doe’s regime shut down  Grigsby’s newspaper company several times before permanently sealing up its doors, stories unfortunately that were never cited during his funeral.   

After Grigsby’s funeral President Joseph Nyuma Boakai’s charity which the deceased ran before returning to the U.S. decided to host Sunday’s memorial in order to afford Liberians, friends and foreign dignitaries at home to pay homage to the late diplomat.   

President Boakai eulogized the memorial Sunday, calling late Hon. Sylvester M. Grigsby “a friend and a brother.” 

He described him as a very close friend and said, Grigsby was “a very brilliant” and smart student in their school. “Sylvester was loved because of who he was,” President Boakai continued, saying he followed Grigsby’s activities even when Grigsby was superintendent for Sinoe.

He spoke of how bad our Liberian society has gone nowadays, and expressed regret that most people (Liberians), tend to celebrate “mediocrity” rather than celebrate “substance”, the last of which he prefers. 

He explained how people sometimes put him under pressure (like they’ve done to every leader here), and request he fire certain individuals-apparently not their friend or preferred official-whenever something is amiss. In such cases, “They (referring to the people) are often looking for friendship,” he said. 

However, for him, President Boakai, he maintained that he personally “Looks for both friendship and quality,” as well. This remark was in reference to Grigsby’s hard work, dedication to tasks, plus his endless sacrifices which speaker after speaker pointed out throughout the event. 

President Boakai cited the early years of JNB Foundation as another period during which late Grigsby sacrificed everything for this foundation, a time he stated, when there wasn’t money available to run the charity, let alone pay Hon. Grigsby, and both had to run around to get money and help people in need. 

According to him, he first met the deceased at the College of West Africa, an Ivy type of college here, where both became friends. It was at that college he said he befriended other notable Liberians after Grigsby, like the “Minors, Majors, the Greens,” through services he rendered the college at the time in the business office as the Dean for the Boys dormitory. 

He said Liberia still has “Good people,” adding “But you have to be one.” Hon. Grigsby, he observed, “was one.”

The JNB Foundation also gave a special tribute during the memorial, calling Grigsby “an Ambassador of Development.” Current JNB Foundation Chairman, Rev. David Fatorma who spoke described late Grigsby as someone he said, “Understood that a true development is built on relationship and trust.”

Special tributes also came from Amb. & Prof. Dew T.W. Mayson and Mr. Yin Chengwu, Chinese Ambassador to Liberia, as well as Mr. Nathaniel Davids, all of whom were friends of the late diplomat and his family. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Ministry of State for Presidential Affairs all gave touching tributes during Sunday’s memorial.

Veteran Liberian politician Dr. Togba-Nah Tipoteh who hails from Sinoe, home of late Grigsby, did a special solo, meant to console Grigsby’s widow. Before a jammed packed congregation Dr. Tipoteh slowly walked to Mrs. Grigsby, rested his right hand on her shoulder and sang loudly before ending the song.  

The memorial was attended by the former president of the Republic of Liberia, H.E. Ellen Johnso-Sirleaf. Honorable Jackson K. George Jr., current Executive Director for the JNB Foundation, coordinated the event, assisted by his Deputy Executive Director Henry Saa Flanpor. 

The deceased’s widow Mrs. Cleopatra S. Grigsby thanked Liberians for allowing her late husband to serve the nation during those long years, saying such opportunities allowed him Grigsby fulfilled what she referred to as “his deepest passion,” diplomacy.

JESUS CHRIST IS COMING SOON! ARE YOU READY?