Glehyee Zorpea, Nimba County – Human rights lawyer, Cllr. Tiawan Saye Gongloe, turned 60 on Saturday, August 6, 2016 but says despite his age, he is still strong and dedicated to serving humanity.
Report by Kennedy L. Yangian [email protected]
Gongloe, the country’s foremost rights lawyer was born on August 6, 1956 at the Ganta Methodist Hospital in Nimba County unto the union of the late school teacher Wilfred Gongloe and Elizabeth Gongloe.
He started his primary education at the J. W. Pearson School in Ganta, Menla and continued to Tappita Public School and that of the St. Mary Catholic School in Sanniquellie.
At the University of Liberia, he earned an undergraduate degree in Economics and matriculated to the Louis Arthur Grimes School of law, earning an LL.B in law.
Cllr. Gongloe has been a strong advocate and lawyer against human rights violation in the country, a work that continues to win him admiration among many Liberians.
As a means of giving a dedicated public servant his flowers while he is still alive, family members and friends from all walks of life gathered at the residence of Cllr. Tiawan Gongloe on the outskirt of his hometown of Glehyee Zorpea in Nimba County on August 6, 2016 at a special program organized in his honor by the youth of that area, where he was showered with praises for his dedicated service not only to his family, hometown but Liberia at large.
“Today, we have come to celebrate the 60th birth anniversary of a brother, an advocate and human right lawyer whose life cycles worth emulating,” said Atty. Gbartodor, Chairman of the program committee.
Madam Edith Gongloe Weh, the elder sister of Cllr. Gongloe and former Superintendent of Nimba County, now a stalwart of the opposition Liberty Party (LP) who presented her brother to the audience said that Cllr. Gongloe has lived a decent life which has brought honor to their family.
“Let me present to you an individual who is been admired everywhere he goes due to his dedicated service.”
“Despite other name that I bear, everywhere I go, I am recognized with great respect as a sister of Cllr. Tiawon Saye Gongloe,” said Madame Edith Gongloe Weh.
The 60th birth anniversary of Cllr. Gongloe did not only win the minds of the family members but also some friends who travelled from Monrovia to ensure that they be part of the historical birthday celebration of Cllr. Gongloe in his hometown.
One of those in attendance at Cllr. Gongloe’s birthday was the acting head of the Liberia Media Center who is also a member of the pro-advocacy group Volunteer for Change, Atty. Lamii Kpargoi.
Kpargboi told the family and relatives of Gongloe in Glehyee that Cllr. Gongloe has lived an exemplary life in the country and that his birthday worth a great deed of celebration.
“Cllr. Gongloe is a man of integrity and is not corrupt. If we have more Gongloes in the country, Liberia will be better,” said Lamii Kpargboi amid cheers from the audience.
For his part, Cllr. Gongloe, the honoree, told the audience that all he does in his life is to teach people where ever he goes, he lives a life of simplicity.
“All I do in my life is to teach people.”
“Thank you for your honors. God and the prayer of my mother is what got me here. I love to give more than I receive, if we take everybody in the world as brothers and sisters, the world will be a better place to live” he said.