Good afternoon, family and friends.

Today, I stand simply as a daughter—grateful, humbled, and heartbroken to honor my father who aside from his own accomplishments was a great father to me.

My dad, Sylvester Mondubue Grigsby, Greg, was so many things to so many people: a diplomat, a statesman, a trusted friend, a proud Liberian.  He would call me Mayumi G and I would call him Daddy G.

What may not surprise you is that my father was a nerd – he would watch silly shows with me and then give notes like we were watching a documentary – we would watch the tv show Power and he would say – the Russian gangsters wouldn’t do that. Even when he was sick, we would watch game shows and a question came on about obscure topics like Japanese history and he answered correctly.

On my birthday he gave me a gift of earrings and a necklace with the Adinkra symbol, Gye Nyame— “Except for God.” A symbol that teaches about faith, humility, the eternal presence of the divine. My father lived his life with that same awareness: that no matter how high he rose, how respected he became, he walked humbly, knowing life has a power greater than ourselves. And yet, within that humility, he carried so much strength, character, and dignity. Whenever things got particularly stressful in Liberia and I feared for him when he took on ethical stances that did not make him popular, he said except for God, only God knows how this end.

But to me, before and above all else, he was just my dad.

When I lived in France and he was working grueling hours in Brussels, he would finish his long days, hop on a train, and come all the way to Paris—just to sit with me, talk with me, and help me with my homework. That’s who he was. He could be in rooms with presidents and prime ministers, but he never forgot the importance of showing up for his daughter. And for me, his time was the greatest gift.

I heard that he told my mom, I tell people my wife and children can take care of themselves so I take care of other people. I think he was confused because we did need him but all we wanted from him was his time. For me even with all of the changes, leaving Liberia, being separated, he was always there and all I wanted was his time and to hear his laugh.

Even when I was grown, he never stopped being there. When I was sick in Chicago, he came to care for me. He washed my dishes, he organized my house, he even cooked corned beef and rice for me. We would talk about everything—Sidney Poitier passed while he was there and I found out that he was one of his heroes. He told me what it meant to see a Black man with dignity, with courage, with presence. And in truth, my father carried those same qualities himself.

He was kind. He was funny. He was caring. And he was honest—sometimes too honest. If I complained about gaining weight, he would just shrug and say, “Yes, and?”

He wasn’t great at comforting tears, but his truth always carried its own kind of comfort. He loved and respected my mother – he would always tell me to ask her about my clothes and managing my finances. Even when we all lived apart, he would never go against something she said.

He also shaped who I became. One day when I was 6 he looked at me and declared, “You’re going to be a lawyer. “He told me I would be a diplomat.  I fought him on it, but—of course—he was right. I worked in Liberia in diplomacy. I became a lawyer. On the day of my law school graduation, he called me and told me it was time to go for my MBA. And I said, Daddy, it gets to a point. Even in his final days, he would remind me—half joking, half proud— “Watch your tone with the doctors. Your father is a diplomat! A world-renowned diplomat!” Then he would laugh, that unmistakable laugh full of joy.

My mother loved to tell the story of how he “stole me away to Liberia like a thief in the night” when I went to work there but the truth is I just wanted to be close to him. And when I was upset, he didn’t have time for me. He was so upset that I was upset that I had to stop and think of him.  That was my dad—full of courage, and full of dreams for his family. He was proud of me as well.

I’ll never forget the way he spoke about coming to Chicago on delegation, riding with a motorcade when then Mayor Daley shut down the highway—and then telling people about his daughter working at City Hall, carrying forward a legacy of service.

But I’ll also remember the little things. How he always carried cash, even when no one else did. How he tipped drivers in cash and lit up their day. How he noticed people, respected people, and carried himself with dignity—but also with humor and warmth.

What I will miss most is the everydayness of him. Picking up the phone. Laughing together. Talking about everything and nothing. He was my father, but also my friend. My safe place. My example of love, strength, and kindness. He would call and say he wanted to be with me for my birthday and I would be there.

My father loved his family—his daughters most of all. He loved my mother. He loved Liberia. He loved people.

And I loved him—not just as my father, but as the man he was.

When he was in the hospital, I wrote him a letter, which I will read now –

Dear Daddy: You were a great father, always. You dealt with trauma and expectations and you tried and always, and often succeeded in, showing up even at the last minute. You loved me and I wish I could have taken the burden off of you or eased your burden. Thank you for doing my homework with me. Thank you for helping me move into an apartment with 5 flights of stairs and I lived on the 5th floor.

Thank you for always believing in me.

Thank you for an extraordinary journey. I’m going to write that book. I might even get that MBA. I will live and I will honor you. I love you. You are irreplaceable. Thank you for everything.

I don’t know if you’re in there. I don’t know where you are. But I know if there is any piece of you that loves me 100%, and all of me loves you.

Love, 

Moosh / Mayumi G

Daddy, I will carry your lessons, your laughter, and your love always. Like the meaning of Gye Nyame, which teaches us that God’s presence is eternal, I believe so is yours. Though I can no longer sit and talk with you, I know your spirit will never leave me. And every time someone looks at me and says, “That’s Grigsby’s daughter,” I will stand

proud.

Forever proud to be your daughter.

Thank you.

Part-1 of 3…

From afar I have known Sylvester Grigsby and closely followed his magnificent works in public service—which spanned over four incredibly fulfilling decades and counting. Assuming the role of Minister of State for Presidential Affairs for the second time in recent years, Grigsby brings a unique combination of unmatched depth of experience and compelling capabilities to his charge as Minister of State under the current administration of President Joseph Nyuma Boakai.

By: Stephen E. Harvey

Without a doubt, Grigsby is arguably the most experienced in the Boakai-Cabinet having served multiple roles in succeeding governments. He has served with distinctions in various positions at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to include Deputy Minister of International Cooperation, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs and would later climb to the top post of Minister of Foreign Affairs under the Administration of former President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf. Grigsby honored all his positions in public service with hard work, dedication, determination, humility, and patriotism. This mentality and posture catapulted him through the ranks and file of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs during his tenure of service there.

He would later move to the Ministry of State for Presidential Affairs as Minister proper following his appointment by President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, to fill the vacancy left behind by the sad and shocking demise of former Minister of State Johnny McClain. Grigsby outstanding service to national duty over the years coupled with his long standing record of integrity in both public and private service spanning several decades, won the admiration and confidence of President Sirleaf who would not only consider him for the Post of Minister of State, but entrusted him with important international responsibilities which he executed effectively and efficiently. Grigsby earlier served the Interim Government of national Unity (IGNU) under Interim President Amos C. Sawyer as senior Minister in the foreign ministry and prior to then, he was Liberia’s Ambassador to the Kingdom of Belgium and the entire Benelux, a post he served with distinction.

He is academically sound and intellectually equipped. He knows and understands fully the cumbersome craft of governance. He is acutely abreast with the deep intricacies of International relations and has brilliant worldview perspectives on evolving international matters—from trade and commerce to peace and security. Having served as Liberia’s Foreign Minister and different portfolios in the realm of the Liberian Foreign Ministry for several years, Grigby is well-placed to substantively advise President Boakai on how to navigate the intrigues of Liberia Foreign policy especially in dealing with key allies and development partners like the United States, China, United Kingdom, Japan, and others.

In terms of helping the President structure the government, thoroughly evaluate the quality of appointments he makes, and managing the President Cabinet in line with public expectation, Grigsby is certainly the right chap for the top post of Minister of State, hence, President Boakai was in no error on the decision to appoint him in the coveted role. Grisby has all that it takes to substantially assist President Boakai effectively govern and deliver on his promises to the People of Liberia. It can be recalled, right before the eyes of the Liberian people Grisby effectively managed the Johnson-Sirleaf’s Cabinet and held public officials accountable to the performance bond they signed with the President. This man went to work as early as 8: am in the morning and departed the Executive Mansion by 11: pm night so as to ensure that the government was working effectively to meet targets and timeline.

Grigsby is calm and collected. He has a modest temperament as well as the discipline and fortitude to rise above the trappings of power and authority. He is not obsessed with power and knows how to equate himself in public office. He has no record of corruption or any form of malfeasance nor abuse of power in his long and lofty public service journey. Additionally and importantly, he has a protracted length of great relationship with his boss President Boakai. The pair has known each other for over six decades—since their memorable days at the College of West Africa (CWA) from where they both proudly obtained their secondary education in shining colors. This is exactly why many hold the view that the appointment of Grigsby as Minister of State for Presidential Affairs was a great choice by President Boakai with the argument that besides the professional qualification, such role requires someone that knows and understands the President very well, and of course, someone the President can confide in without fear that vital and sensitive information will be leaked out. Grigsby is Boakai’s buddy of many decades and over their epoch of friendship, Grigsby has remained loyal and supportive of his friend and brother’s political career. As an expert of State craft, a diplomat extraordinaire, a prolific speech writer, and a czar on how to juggle and humanize power, Sylvester M. Grigsby is certainly the man in the right role and at the right time. Liberia couldn’t ask for a better Minister of State!

Why Some Want Him Out?:

Over the last three months, Grigsby has faced fierce opposition from different forces within the government. He has come under a string of blistering criticisms from some adversaries who have vowed never to sheathe their swords until they see the head of Grigsby roll in the platter.

The core motivation for these cascading criticisms targeted at Grigsby is the fact that some within the very Executive Mansion do not want him occupying the post. At the same time, there are some at the legislature who are hellbent on pestering the President to remove his Minister of State because, according to them, he is unfit for the job. How can a man with such unparalleled depth of experience in public service and who served in similar roles and performed with exemplary distinctions be unfit for the job now? It is sheer absurdity for anyone to argue with a straight face that Grigsby is unfit for the job. The man unarguably possesses a towering pedigree that speaks for itself, to argue otherwise is inconceivable. 

Investigation has established that there are some staunch allies of the President in the Executive Mansion who are cruelly masterminding these deadly conspiracies and machinations for the removal of Grigsby. They have been gathering overnight and plotting negative narratives with the vicious intent to malign the reputation and image of Grigsby. The singular motive is to put President Boakai against his Minister of States and subsequently his confidence will dwindle in the man with whom he has had a long and enriching bromance. We have been reliably informed that they have been paying media institutions enormous sums of money to publish and air incriminating and condescending stories against Grigsby. In their burning desperation to battle Grgisby out of the Mansion, they would even cross over to the Legislature to co-opt some lawmakers to issue harsh resistance against Grigsby. It is against this backdrop, some lawmakers publicly called for the dismissal of Grisby. These folks at the Mansion are of the illogical opinion that Grigsby doesn’t merit the job he occupies and he is not politically savvy enough to ensure a harmonious relationship between the Executive and the other Branches of government. However, the assertion that Grisby cannot effectively manage the political relations of the Executive is not only weird, but simply a blatant misrepresentation of the fact. Grisgby worked in a similar role under Ellen Johnson Sirleaf who is arguably the smartest politician Liberia has ever known, and he ensured a cordial relationship between the Executive, the Legislature, and Judiciary. The truth of the matter is that they want a foothold of the presidency to build a circle around the President for their selfish aggrandizement, and with Grigsby managing the Presidency with solid proximity to the President, their intention is almost impossible. From all indications, these reactionaries pretending to be loyalists of Boakai are not interested in the President’s legacies, but rather finding means at the expense of the President to advance their embedded agenda. Beneath their barrage of attacks lies the evil and myopic motive to have Grigsby removed to create for them an unhindered access and control of the Presidency, nothing more.

Contrary to their selfish and ulterior motives, Grigsby is essentially concerned about helping the President to etch in stone his legacy. He is fundamentally inclined to lay down the necessary frameworks that will lead to significant accomplishments by the Boakai administration. Unlike these power-drunk reactionaries at the Mansion, Grigsby is potentially keen on President Boakai keeping his electoral promises to the people of Liberia, i.e. the establishment of the war crimes court which he (Grigsby) worked tirelessly to achieve just in 110 days following the inauguration of the government. Liberia’s development partners have described as a decisive and definable move, the political willingness to establish the War and Economics Crimes Court, adding, it has presented a good image of the Boakai government in the eyes of the international community. Grigsby is also working hard to ensure that President Boakai upholds his pledge to embark on a comprehensive audit of the George Weah administration to retrieve state funds and assets stolen by former officials. He is concerned about the rule of law working once again so as to make Liberia a safe and free country for all its citizens, but even more importantly, for attracting of Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) to put Liberia on an irreversible path of economic growth, job creation, and poverty reduction. Grisby is also working diligently to see education, tourism and other things laid out in the government ARREST agenda work to the delight of the people of Liberia.

President Boakai is a man of deep wisdom who came to the presidency with an enviable wealth of experience that none other compels. He knows the capabilities of the man he prefers to serve as his Minister of State for Presidential Affairs. He knows Grigsby is loyal and shares in his vision to elevate Liberia to nobler heights and lift its people from the decadence of socioeconomic destitution.

Grigsby is no doubt the man with the steep and depth for the job and no amount of wicked machinations, maneuverings, and mendacity would cause President Boakai to remove him. He is a noble statesman and a true patriot who is and has always been interested in the forward march of his country Liberia, and not what he can get to line and fatten his pockets while the unsuspecting Liberian masses grapple with the unbearable pinch of economic hardship. He has no other interest but the success of the ARREST agenda, which is President Joseph Nyuma Boakai’s Agenda. So, give Grigsby a chance to do his job and let the Liberian public be the ultimate judge and not the clique of desperate reactionaries seeking to remove him at all cost in a vicious effort to commandeer the presidency.

In part-2 of this three part series piece, I will unmask the other group of people at the Legislature who want Minister Sylvester M. Grigsby out of the Executive Mansion and why they want him out.

To be continued…