Monrovia – Members of the Legislature have responded to the death news of one of their colleagues, Representative Eugene Fallah Kparkar (Liberty Party, District #1, Lofa County).
Report by Henry Karmo – [email protected]
Rep. Kpakar, according to reports, was on life support after undergoing bone marrow operation and was in coma for three days in India before his death on Thursday.
He was in his 40s.
The death of the lawmaker is an irreplaceable loss and depressing not only to Lofa County but also for Liberia, according to members of Liberia’s legislature.
Representative Kparkar death brings to two the number of lawmakers who have died from Lofa County in a year. Sarh Fofi Bimba died last September.
Rep. Kpakar was said to be on life support after undergoing a bone marrow operation and was in coma for three days.
Lawmakers including Deputy Speaker Hans Barchue, Clarence Massaquoi, Julie Wiah and Moses Acarous Gray expressed regret and shock over his death.
Representative Hans Barchue told FPA in an interview that the cost to take Kparkar to India was US$70,000.
According to Barchue, lawmakers were able to raise the first US$25,000 for him to go. The balance was transferred to him in India when Speaker Nuquay took over.
“We learned he had to do bone marrow transplant. He was a young progressive man who many saw good future in.”
“He was very educated and the Lofa people will miss him,” he said.
Rep. Clearance Massaquoi who also represents the Lofa County said Rep. Kparkar would be missed for his insightfulness and love for country and his brilliant ideas he brought to them as caucus.
He attributed the construction of the only college in Lofa as some of the brilliant things proposed in the 52nd legislature by Hon. Kparkar.
“If there is nothing we can remember him for as a country, at least we can point to that and that is in addition to the many development projects he did.”
In tears, Representative Julie Wiah said “He was my closest friend in the legislature, especially from Lofa County,” she said.
Wiah was elected in a by-election as a result of the death Representative Sarh Fofi Bimba.
Members of the legislative Press have also expressed regrets over the death of the fallen lawmaker who they described as an inspiration and informative lawmaker.
“He was someone who could shake the floor for us as journalists.”
“We want to extend on behalf of our colleagues our condolence to the members of the House of Representatives, his family and the nation,” Nathaniel Daygbor President of the media group said.
Meanwhile, Speaker Emmanuel Nuquay on Thursday led an array of Lawmakers from the House of Representatives to the home of the late Hon. Kparkar in Paynesville City.
Speaker Nuquay indicated that the Lofa County Lawmaker has left a vacuum in the Legislature as a floor fighter and his strong debates on issue of national concerns.
During his visit, he called on the family to hold together in this time of grief.
Speaking on behalf of the family, Rev. Jasper S. Ndaborlor thanked the Speaker and members of the House for finding the time to comfort them.
The Plenary of the House of Representatives suspended its Thursday Special Session following the announcement of the death of Hon. Eugene Fallah Kparkar.
Arrangements are being made by the Liberian Government and the Indian Consulate to fly his remains back to Monrovia.
Doctors usually recommend a bone marrow transplant if a patient has certain cancers, such as leukemia, lymphoma, myelodysplasia, and multiple myeloma.
Representative Kparkar who assumed office in January 2006 was born in Foya District, Lofa County to a mid-wife mother (Ma Betty) and a teacher father (Papa Joe), both deceased.
He attended primary school in Foya and Kolahun districts respectively in Lofa County. As a refugee in the early 1990s, he partially did his secondary school education in Guinea and later came to Monrovia in 1997 and graduated from the G. W. Gibson High School with distinction.
Rep. Kparkar matriculated to the University of Liberia, where he received a Bachelor’s of Science degree in Economics in 2005/06 and a Master’s degree in International Relations with distinction. Kparkar got his second master’s degree with distinction in Public Sector Management in 2015 at the Cutting University.
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