Monrovia – The family of Liberia’s President William R. Tolbert is calling for a proper reconciliation and a befitting memorial for their late father and other government officials who were killed during coup d’etat led by the then Master Sergeant Samuel K. Doe in 1980.
Report by J. H. Webster Clayeh, [email protected]
Dr. Richard V. Tolbert, Frank S. Tolbert, Stanley Tolbert and the Peace Ambassador Rev. William Tolbert assembled in the scorching sun to pay homage to their late father and 13 other senior government officials who were executed by firing squad on the poles on April 22, 1980.
Speaking to FrontPage Africa at the Palm Grove Cemetery on March 14, 2018, after cleaning and decorating the “mass grave” Dr. Richard V. Tolbert, one of the sons of the late President Tolbert said reconciliation is a key for nation building.
“Reconciliation is the key to stability, peace, and progress. We have to really implement it and that reconciliation should begin right now,” he said.
Dr. Tolbert said reconciliation must begin with incidences that occurred from 1980.
He said, “How can you reconcile the future and leave the past. So, we think that if anybody will succeed in this country, they must reconcile with people like us whose parents have shared their blood, who parents were dragged on the poles, in the streets and killed innocently”.
He continued: “And then, to all of those who lost their lives in the senseless war need to be honored.”
“We are not just talking about our loved ones but we believe that you have to start from the beginning. Honor those who were the founders of this nation”.
Dr. Tolbert further stated that it is not good for anyone to brag about being “son of the soil”.
He said his father and all those who are beneath the earth are sons of the soil adding that they had worked tirelessly for their country, despite been perceived as a ‘congau man’.
“Those who were the founders of this nation should be honored by building a befitting memorial for them.”
“Whether you like it or not, this nation was founded by men like these and they paid the ultimate price in blood, sweats, and tears. These are the true Liberians,” Dr. Tolbert said.
He reiterated his call for Liberians to shun divineness and focus on nation building.
“This is a new and youthful government; this is the time that they can make the difference to make Liberia great again,” he said.
For his part, Frank S. Tolbert, another son of the late President Tolbert said despite the deplorable condition of the Palm Grove Cemetery there should be no decision to relocate the historical burial site.
He said, the government needs to put in a rehabilitation programs for drug addicts who usually use the cemetery as their domicile.
“This is a national emblem. It is also a national symbol of our struggle from 1847. It is impossible to relocate these dead bodies and anybody thinking on it will fail. This is our shrine we must maintain.”
If you provide the necessary things to the people (drug addicts) what will they want to do in the cemetery? So, rehabilitation should be the focus of this government.”