Monrovia – President Joseph Nyuma Boakai has awarded Liberia’s highest honor, the “Knight Grand Band,” to Ambassador Lorenzo L. Witherspoon for his extensive research enhancing Liberia-Barbados relations.
By Willie N. Tokpah [email protected]
Amb. Witherspoon, the former envoy of Liberia to Angola, Lesotho, Mozambique, Namibia, Swaziland, South Africa, Zambia, and Zimbabwe, and Doyen of the ECOWAS Group of Ambassadors, has been recognized for his significant research connecting Liberia and Barbados’ history.
The award was presented on Saturday, July 20, at the Ellen Johnson Sirleaf Ministerial Complex during an event attended by diplomatic officials, marking the pre-celebration of Liberia’s 177th Independence Day.
Amb. Witherspoon and his wife arrived in Liberia a few days before the award ceremony at the request of the Minister of Foreign Affairs to participate in the Independence Day celebrations on Friday, July 26.
On Friday, July 19, President Boakai, by the authority vested in him as Grand Master of the Orders of Distinction of the Republic of Liberia, admitted Amb. Witherspoon into the Humane Order of African Redemption and conferred upon him the Grade of Knight Grand Band (GB-HOAR), Liberia’s highest distinction.
The President’s citation noted that Amb. Witherspoon’s research into the Liberian family’s ancestral origins in Barbados, his contribution to rekindling the Liberia-Barbados connection, and his role in the recent successful staging of the Sankofa Pilgrimage to Barbados, led by Prime Minister Mia Amor Mottley, were key factors in his selection for this honor.
On Thursday, July 18, Amb. Witherspoon was also awarded the Golden Image Award Medal 2024 in the National Leadership and International Excellence Award category. This award was launched 14 years ago during the administration of former President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, who is the image of the award. Currently, President Boakai, Sr., is the convener of the award, given annually as part of the Independence Day celebrations.
The theme for this year’s 177th Independence Day Commemoration is “Building Our Nation Together Through Reconciliation.”
In presenting the award, Foreign Minister Sara Belsolow Nyanti paid tribute to Amb. Witherspoon’s role in reconnecting Barbados and Liberia and laying the foundation for strong bilateral relations at the diplomatic level. She highlighted Prime Minister Mottley’s desire to establish an irreversible pathway to reconnecting the peoples of Barbados and Liberia, which was pivotal to Amb. Witherspoon’s selection.
Amb. Witherspoon accepted the honor with profound humility and lauded Minister Nyanti for the initiative.
The Humane Order of African Redemption, founded on January 13, 1879, during the presidency of Anthony W. Gardiner, is awarded for humanitarian work in Liberia, acts supporting and assisting the Liberian nation, and individuals who have played a prominent role in the emancipation of African Americans and the pursuit of equal rights.