PHOTO: Late Hon. J. Neh Blamo, Sr.
By Our Reporter
A former Lawmaker of Grand Kru County in the Transitional Legislative Assembly, J. Neh Blamo, Sr. has been laid to rest, after a touching funeral service that witnessed an outpouring of eulogies, describing him as “a true father, a humanitarian and a good man”.
At 82, the former Grand Kru County Representative died on September 10, 2021 following a brief period of illness in Monrovia.
Prior to the transitional period and the 1989 civil war, Mr. Blamo was one of the top officials in the Special Security Service (SSS), now EPS, Executive Protective Service, rising to the rank of Assistant Director of Finance/Budget.
After leaving the Capitol, he returned to serve as Consultant at the Liberian Senate, a position he held up until his recent demise.
Delivering the funeral Discourse on Saturday, October 2, 2021 in the Johnsonville suburb of Monrovia, the Senior Prophet of the Church of the Lord Aladura, Joseph O. Cooper said that the fallen Lawmaker Blamo lived beyond three scores and ten due to the blessings of God.
“Longevity is the grace of God,” he told the congregation in the T-Wah Bedell Funeral Home chapel.
Prophet Cooper urged Christians to know the Almighty God for themselves, as he is the Judge for all of mankind.
“God is the Architect of life,” he told the congregation.
In their reflection, children of the fallen Liberian Lawmaker described him as “our trainer, our mentor and a loving father who will do any and everything for his dear children.”
BELOW IS FULL TEXT OF HIS LIFE SKETCH READ BY ONE OF HIS DAUGHTERS.
Life Sketch
THEME: Reflecting a life of courage and resilience; the story of our father, John Neh Blamo, Sr.
Early Life:
Born unto the union of old-man Kayloryea-Neh Blamohn and old-lady Jeh-Gbee Yaka-Tetee on February 20, 1939; our father was the last of five children (two boys and three girls). He was born in Gbaken, Wedabo District, Grand Kru County. He came from a very humble background and his parents lived on mere subsistence farming; old man Neh Blamohn and his wife could only manage to find food for them and their five children.
Young Neh grew up with a strong sense of responsibility. At a very tender age he began to assume responsibility like making traps to catch squirrels, catch fish in the river, and also helping with farming activities. He loved his parents and wanted to help them. This strong desire to help his poor parents led him to pursue better opportunities in faraway places. He planned to return home to help change the living condition of his parents and his siblings.
Pursuit of Education:
Although none of his four older siblings ever saw the inside of a classroom up to time of their departing this world, young Neh Blamo decided to embark on a journey in pursuit of education. The closest place to get such an opportunity was Harper, Maryland County, which was some 53Km away. Oldlady Tetee who didn’t have anything to give to her dear son, laid her hands on his head and blessed him, committing him into the care of the most high God.
With the blessing and prayer of his old parents, he embarked on the long journey to Harper on foot, with only a few cups of farina wrapped in a little sack. The journey to Harper took a few weeks, with several stops in towns and villages along the way. In some of the towns he had to spend a few days, engaging in any low skill jobs that would provide him something to eat to strengthen him for his journey. This was how he continued until he reached Peebe City where he stayed a couple of days before moving on to Harper City.
There were neither family members nor friends in Harper to start with, but he had a strong faith in the same God who had guided him throughout his journey from Wedabo to Harper. God always made a way for him to find a safe place to lay his head, even if just for a night. Maybe this was one reason why our father always had a space to accommodate just anyone into his home who had need. As children, we did not understand why our father always entertained strangers. As we grew up and listened to his story, it all began to make sense to us.
Finding a start in Harper City was not easy to come by. But after days of hanging around, and owing to his willingness to do whatever he had to do to make ends meet, God connected him with a family, what we call in Liberia a congo family. He moved into the compound and was given a place to sleep in a small hut in the yard that was also the kitchen and store house. It was this family that gave him the name John Brown.
His responsibilities in the compound included cutting grass in the yard, washing dirty clothes, keeping the house and compound tardy, fetching water from the creek and providing any and all domestic support as was required. He would wake up as early as 5AM to make sure all was set for both children and parents to go to school and work. This did not break his courage or resilience; he kept doing this for over a year.
After a long time of serving this family, the mother discovered that John Brown actually had a desire to go to school, from the way he usually flipped through the pages of her children books. When he was asked whether he wanted to go to school, he jumped up with excitement a nd shouted YES!!! He was promised to start the following semester; however, he would make sure to complete all of the basic chores including fetching water from the creek every morning before getting himself ready for school.
His first day in school uniform was like a miracle, even though this had been his greatest dream come true. Interestingly, the distance from where they lived to the school was a daily task he had to face; the East Harper Elementary School was about 1.8 miles away. But the fact that he was finally a student was his greatest inspiration as he trekked to and from school every day.
Our father completed his studies at the East Harper Elementary School in 1958, being a recipient of double promotion a couple of times. This accomplishment seemed to trigger more desire for education in him. After serving his adopted family for two more years, he bided them fareware and headed for the nation’s capital to continue his education.
Life in Monrovia was comprised of both work and trying to complete high school. After working some hard labor jobs to earn some money, he enrolled at the St. Samuel High School on Center Street and later graduated in 1972.
In the midst of all of the hustle, two careers seemed to appealed more to our dear father after completing high school; these were Accountancy and Criminal Justice (Law Enforcement); he was however more of an Accountant.
Immediately following his completion of high school he enrolled at the Modern Commercial Institute and obtained a diploma in Accounting in 1975. That was when and how his work as an Accountant started.
He earned a certificate in Finance and Management, and Middle Management from the IPA in 1987, and another certificate in Financial Management in Government, also from the IPA in 1989.
Having worked as an Accountant for several years, he enrolled at the University of Liberia to pursue a Bachelors’ Degree in Accounting in 1988. However, this dream was interrupted by the Liberian civil war which broke out in 1989.
He was a man who went for whatever he wanted, and he gave his best attempt at every task he undertook. He was a member of the 1964 graduating class from the National Police Academy; he also did VIP protection and Intelligence offered by Israelis expert trainers for ten months.
Work
His work with the Liberian Government dates back to 1961 when he got his first job with the Special Security Police Unit (SSPU); it later became known as Special Security Service (SSS), which is today known as Executive Protective Service (EPS). He served in several capacities as a security operative before he was transferred to the Finance Department of the SSS as Assistant Chief Accountant from 1976 to 1979. He was promoted to the position of Chief of Budget and Financial Management in 1980, a position he occupied up to 1990.
After the cessation of hostilities brought by the civil war, our father occupied several other positions including Accountant in the University of Liberia Business and Finance Office; Representative of Grand Kru County with the Transitional Legislative Assembly; Financial Comptroller, National Bureau of Investigation; and Legal Research Analyst in the Office of the Secretary of the Senate, where he was until his demise.
Our old man was very passionate for knowledge, and his pursuit after knowledge, even in the face of obstacles and lack of support, earned him the character he became in spite of his humble beginning. He grew up to become a true kins-men-redeemer, a father-figure to his older brothers and sisters, and a leader and shining example among the Wedabo people. Indeed, his is a life worth emulating; it is a true life of resilience and courage.
Today, we have lost our trainer, our mentor and a loving father who will do any and everything for his dear children. Papa, we want to thank you for all the sacrifices you made for us your children, and all those whose lives you touched directly and indirectly. You have left us with the challenge of staying positive no matter the situation. We know you are in a better place. Rest in Peace, Papa!!!