As He Pays Visit To The Family Of Cllr. J. Emmanuel Berry, Cllr. Gongloe Describes The Fallen Lawyer As “A Man Of Principle”
PHOTO: Dr. Togba-Nah Tipoteh (Left), Cllr. Tiawan Gongloe next to the wife of the deceased in purple dress
By Garmah Never Lomo, garmahlomo@gmail.com
Monrovia, Liberia– On early Friday morning of March 8,2024, the cold hands of death took away the life of another legal mind, Cllr. Joseph Emmanuel Berry, who died just days after a member of the Liberian Supreme Court bench, Joseph N. Nagbe.
The late Cllr. Berry, who died at his residence in the Fendell community outside Monrovia, was buried the same day on his farm at his Fendell residence at the age of 88.
However, former president of the Liberian National Bar Association (LNBA) Cllr. Tiawan Gongloe and the Presidential candidate of the Liberia People’s Party along with Dr. Togba-Nah Tipoteh visited the family of the late Berry and paid their respective tributes.
During his tribute, Cllr. Gongloe said that the late Cllr. Berry lived a very simple life and he was a man of principle.
According to the human rights lawyer, his colleague Berry was one of those poor man lawyers defended many people court without asking for a penny.
The human rights lawyer praised Cllr. Berry of being his backbone when he was solicitor General.
“When Albert Porte was in problems with the Tolbert government, it was the late Berry who stood tall to defense him still the end” Cllr. Gongloe added.
“Imagine the late Berry was promised huge money by Frank Tolbert to abandon the case of Albert Porte, but he refused it because he stood for a cost”.
“When you are poor man lawyer, you live longer because you can walk anywhere freely with anyone harming you,” Cllr. Gongloe consoled the bereaved family.
The LNBA’s former President told the family of the late Berry that they worked together firmly and Cllr. Berry told him stories about the 70s and challenges.
“Your father has gone but left a legacy behind by saying he should be buried immediately when he die as he encouraged son of the deceased “.
“He lived a life worth celebrating and his legacy is a source of contact and he was recognized during leadership at the LNBA as senior counsel.”
He said it is God who can comfort the bereaved family said Cllr. Gongloe.
Also paying his tribute was Dr. Togba-Nah Tipoteh a renowned economist who said late Cllr. Berry life is worth celebrating because he lived a good life.
Dr. Tipoteh maintained that no one celebrates bad things except good things. He added you are good when you doing something not for yourself but for others.
“God has showed us way to get out of the suffering and such way is helping others” the Liberian Economist Dr. Tipoteh consoled the bereaved family of late Cllr. Berry.”
“The people called you (Gongloe) poor man lawyer but you are not the first poor man Lawyer but it was Cllr. Berry who was the first poor man lawyer still his death,” Dr. Tepoteh added.
Meanwhile, the wife of the late Cllr. Berry said her later husband told she and the children that when died, he should be immediately buried without taking him to funeral home because he came naked so shall he return naked.
Madam Berry said her husband told her that what people didn’t do for him when he was alive, shouldn’t be done when he is dead.
“When I die, there should be no big publicity and shouldn’t be taken to funeral home because he lived simple,” the wife of late Berry said in tears.
“If you disobey my will and take me to funeral home and publicize my dead, all of you will be curse wife re-echoed what her deceased husband told her when he was on his dying beg.”