MONROVIA – Liberia Football Association (LFA) vice president Sekou Konneh eulogizing Horatio Bobby Willie, remembers him as one of the best sports journalists of his time, who also served as LFA communications consultant from November 2016 to December 2018.
Konneh said he taught Willie at the African Methodist Episcopal University (AMEU) and frequently interacted with him as a sports reporter/producer.
He was speaking at the book of condolence organized by the Press Union of Liberia (PUL), in collaboration with the Sports Writers Association (SWAL) and LFA, on Clay Street on Tuesday, August 3.
“At the AMEU, Horatio was part of an organization that I wasn’t part of because I was a faculty but he made me an honorary member. And we always referred to each other as FUBU [For Us By Us], Konneh said, adding, “I really took to Horatio when he was a radio journalist. Because of my passion for sports, I was one of his fans. I always followed his sports programs.
“We are told not to question God whether you are a Christian or Muslim because if we have that opportunity there will be a lot of questions we will ask. I don’t know how many of us still remember that Horatio was vice president of Monrovia Black Stars,” said Konneh, who was accompanied by executive committee members Quiwu Pepci Yeke and Henry Boyd Flomo.
PUL president ,Charles Coffey, said the union is deeply saddened by the death of Willie, who was a bright sports writer and communication practitioner.
PUL vice president, Daniel Nyankonah, Liberia National Olympics Committee vice president for technical affairs, Malcolm Joseph, and Mighty Barrolle secretary-general, Timothy Paulus attended the ceremony.
Horatio’s wife and son, Matricia Kojo-Willie and Horatio Willie, Jr.; sisters, Vivian Willie, Patricia Willie-Ocran and Sema Tulay; uncle Charles Dortu and step-parents Momo Allison Bainda and Annie Katty-Bainda graced the mournful occasion.
Willie died at the John F. Kennedy medical center after a period of illness on July 13.
He started his career as a sports reporter at Radio Veritas and later joined Star Radio as an economic affairs reporter. Willie played a pivotal role in establishing the Economic Journalists Association, a network of specialized reporters on economic reporting in Liberia.
He entered public service as director of information services at the Ministry of Finance and later became an assistant minister for public affairs at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Willie also worked in the communications department of the Ministry of Gender and Social Protection and Liberia Telecommunications Authority.
He will be buried on Thursday, August 5, at the Kaiser Memorial Lawn Cemetery after the funeral service at St. Moses in Gardnersville.