The Liberian Gladiators and the Modern Roman Colosseum

By: Emmanuel Obed Towouh




The Perspective
Atlanta, Georgia

April 5, 2004

Browsing through “theperspective” website, the Prince Johnson story caught my eyes; having stayed out of Liberia for a long time, I couldn’t imagine, Yarlueegba, returning to Liberia so soon. Sooner or later, Roosevelt Johnson will be in Liberia, and the Grand Chess Master himself, Dahkpanah Ghankay-CGT, will appear from the blues in Congo Town. It seems like the replay of the Liberian crisis by popular demand.

Before going forward in this article, I would like to throw light on the Doe’s family. Chayee Doe stated that he’s not out to kill Prince Johnson and that the rumor is misleading. He also stated that Prince Johnson apologized to his family for killing Doe. Now, this is where I have problem.

It should be the other way around the issue. The Doe Family must apologize to the Liberian people and answer to their crimes for supporting Doe in the Lutheran Church massacre, the burying of Nimba children alive by Charles Julu, the killing of all the PRC members most of whom were from the south east. Doe lived by the sword and he died by it, period.

Unfortunately, Chayee Doe is surrounded by the same people who led his brother to his death by giving him bad advices. These are the same people who are telling him to kill Prince Johnson. I hope he played smart and not listen to them. We have to move forward.

Going to the main issue, Prince is said to be an Evangelist but that is just old news for those of us who know Price Johnson. Liberia is a strong Christian state in Africa. Sunday is a major holiday. Shop, store, market places are closed on Sundays. The police patrol the streets making sure that all market activities come to a halt on Sundays. For those stubborn vendors who challenge the power of the police on Sundays become prey. Their properties are confiscated by predators in uniform, never to be seen again. In other words, the police in Liberia go on a shopping spree every Sunday.

Like Prince Johnson, every Liberian is an Evangelist. I am too-I’m not kidding. I know the bible from Genesis through Deuteronomy to Revelation. Even the proprietor of this website, The Perspective, knows the bible backward and forward. If given the chance, with serious backing from the choir, The Perspective staff is capable of stirring up an entire church. There will be people fainting in the congregation, while others will run out of the church seeing visions and speaking in tongues.

These are traditional or typical characteristics of Liberians with inborn biblical traits every Sunday morning. Go to Liberia and announce that there will be no early morning preaching on Sundays. I hope there is way out of the pronouncement because whoever pronounces that have got the entire nation rushing down on him/her like an avalanche. If you have seen an avalanche you won’t appreciate one sliding down upon you.

There’s nothing new about being an evangelist in Liberia. In Liberia, one doesn’t need a clock to ring for him/her to get out of bed on Sunday mornings. Street preaching and biblical songs early Sunday mornings are enough to knock you off your bed.

Evangelists are those who are schooled in Theology but when it comes to Liberians that’s something totally different. So, what news is there when a Liberian tells you I am an Evangelist? After all, Liberian babies come out shouting, “Praise the Lord. A-men!” from their mother’s womb.

Evangelism is continuously used as a cover by criminals to hide their mischievousness just as invasion in name of liberation is being used by murders to pull wool over the eyes of innocent Liberians who later become the primary targets. Their properties are also looted in the name of liberation. There is nothing new in the Liberian crisis. Inviting Prince Johnson is adding some old ingredient to the recipe.

Few days ago, there were rumors that there’s training going on in Nimba County. A fact-finding mission was sent there - meaning, Sanniquellie and Ganta, and nothing was found. Is all of Nimba County in Sanniquellie and Ganta alone? After that rumor, Prince is said to have been invited by President Bryant. Hmmm... something stings-do you Smell that?

I believe somebody has been hired to do some dirty work in Liberia. The presence of Prince Johnson in Liberia was precalculated by invisible hands who believe, Yarlueegba, got some unfinished business with some conies in the present government.

Perhaps, the engineers believe the best person that is capable of doing the job of kicking the Krahns and Mandingos out is Prince Johnson, because the Krahns and Mandingos are proving to be unreasonable then the Mano and Gio, and that Prince Johnson has complete control over his boys.

Unlike LURD and MODEL, it is now clear that the Gio and Mano are more reasonable. Again, this is just my personal opinion. No harm done.

“PYJ” now represents the other side of the Liberian faction leaders that can’t be seen-those who brought Taylor who later went on to do their own thing, rather than follow their orders.

According to the story in The Perspective, Prince boasted that he got 30,000 boys who will defend him. I stated previously that I know the bible but I’m a kind of throw in a loop on this verse. I don’t know from which book in the bible the evangelist was quoting the verse, “I have 30,000 men on the ground from both my faction and that of Charles Taylor and are ready to defend me.”

The boy is actually the messiah for the stupid followers who are willing to die for him rather then he dying to prepare a place for them in the ground. The complete opposite of Jesus. The book Prince is quoting is The New Prince World Translation. PYJ 1:1. With Taylor out, those who are setting the stage know “PYJ” has no possible contender.

The tide is rising again. Now that he has gone in hiding, I won’t be surprise if UN war tanks are found in Yarlueegba’s territory. Liberia has become a modern Roman Coliseum where new and old gladiators are brought together to try strength. Civilians are going to pay dearly with their lives. Those like me who have families and friends in Liberia must begin taking them out now!

If Price Johnson is an Evangelist, then George Dweh, Charles Julu, Alhaji G.V. Kromah, George S. Boley and Roosevelt Johnson are all Archangels.-at least not in my world. The unholy matrimony has just begun.