In Celebration of the Life of Dr. Frederick Norkeh
The great Composer and Singer Bob Dylan wrote and sang the Song Where Have All The Flowers Gone to send a global message about what is missing in the world. What is missing globally is the giving of flowers to persons who have good records of serving the people while they are alive. The message points out that these good persons are not given their well-earned flowers, their well-earned gratitude, while they are alive. But when they pass away, some people show up with crocodile tears and spend a lot of money on repass, when they did not spend one dollar on taking care of the good persons when they were alive. It is the Dylan Song that has motivated me to say to the Methodist Men that their motto should be changed from Rescue The Perishing, Care for The Dying to Rescue The Perishing, Care for The Living and that our focus should be on implementing the motto Not For Self, But For Others.
By Togba-Nah Tipoteh, Contributing Writer
Dr. Frederick Norkeh, who just passed away in Sanniquellie, Nimba County, Liberia was a person with a good record but the crocrodile tear bearers did not give him his flowers while he was alive. The crocodile tear beares did the same hypocritical thing in the passing away of good persons like Archbishop George Daniel Browne, Archbishop Michael Kpkala Francis, Archbishop Nah Dixon, Prof. Dr. Mary Antoinette Brown Sherman, Dr. Mary Nema Brownell, Prof. Dr. Amos Claudius Sawyer and Prof. Dr. Joseph Saye Guannu.
Dr. Norkeh was at the funeral of Prof. Dr. Guannu in Sanniquellie on Friday, October 15, 2022 and then he passed away on Tuesday, October 18, 2022, in Sanniquellie, Nimba County, Liberia. As was said about Prof. Dr. Guannu that Liberia has suffered a loss, and the same will be said about Dr. Norkeh. But let it be known that the passing away of persons like Prof. Dr. Guannu and Dr. Norkeh is not a loss but a gain because of the work that each of them has done. Prof. Dr. Guannu’s work lives on because it tells us about where we come from and we can not solve our problems without knowing where we come from. Dr. Norkeh’s work lives on because it helps us to use what Our Creator has given us through the method of Value Addition without which we can not solve the main problem in Liberia and which is violence-oriented longstanding and widespread poverty. Dr. Norkeh used his knowledge to help the people of Liberia to use what we have in Liberia to take ownership of the production of what we need in Liberia rather than allow foreigners to continue the promotion of the colonial system of the production of raw materials for export without any prioritization of Value Addition.
With his vast knowledge and his doctoral degree, Dr. Norkeh could have remained in the United States of America (USA) to earn a lot of money, but he returned to Liberia. When Dr. Norkeh was removed from work as Minister of Posts and Telecommunications, he could have returned to the USA with his loving Wife, Belleh, and family, in search of greener pastures, but he and his family went to Sanniquellie to continue the work to get greener pastures for all in Liberia. As this work of Dr. Norkeh lives on, Liberia is not in a state of loss but in state of gain. Dr. Norkeh has passed away but his work will not pass away.
Where Have All The Flowers Gone? They have gone on to the graves of persons of honor where they will blossom in the hearts and minds of people who love Liberia and the rest of the world.