By Garmah Never Lomo, garmahlomo@gmail.com
President George Manneh Weah’s 4th State of the Nation Address on Monday, January 25, 2021 touched almost everything from education to agriculture; from finance to trade and commerce, but the omitted the deaths of four Liberians who mysteriously died within a space of just eight days.
During the early morning of October 2, 2020, two senior employees of the LRA were discovered dead under mysterious circumstances and their lifeless bodies were seen in a vehicle belonging to Mr. Albert Peters, while Mrs. Lama’s gray Jeep was parked in front of Mr. Peter’s on Snapper Hill, up Broad Street.
After the discovery of the lifeless bodies of the LRA employees in Mr. Peters vehicle, another auditor from the large tax division at the LRA Mr. George Fahnboto was allegedly cut in his head by some unknown individuals on a motor bike but it was widely reported that he died in a tragic motor accident along the 72th boulevard road around in Monrovia’s Paynesville suburb on October 4, 2020.
The mysterious deaths saga for many weeks dominated the news media both at home and abroad, prompting panic among citizens about the security environment.
After the four individuals died under mysterious circumstance within the period of eight days in October this year, President George made a formal request to the US Embassy to assist his government in the probe into circumstances surrounding their deaths. But since then the US Embassy had made no formal public statement, prompting News Public Trust email to the Americans as to whether its forensic/security experts were actually involved in the investigation surrounding the mysterious deaths of the four.
However, the Liberian Justice Ministry on Monday November 24, 2020, released findings of investigation into circumstances surrounding the death of four persons – all from the Liberia Revenue Authority and the Internal Audit Agency.
The findings revealed that deaths of Albert Peters, Gifty A. Lamah, George Fahnbutu/Mobotu all of the Liberia Revenue Authority (LRA) and the head of the Internal Audit Agency Emmanuel Nyensuah were all unnatural or accidental.
Their deaths sent shivers down the nerves of almost everyone with some decrying what they see as poor security and limited or no protection for ordinary people.
Following mounting calls for justice from everywhere, government commissioned an audit which findings revealed all of the four died of accidents – natural and unnatural.
In the case of Albert Peters and Gifty Lamah, who were discovered seemingly dead in a parked vehicle on Broad Street, central Monrovia, the autopsy report read by Justice Minister Cllr. Musa Dean attributes their deaths to “carbon monoxide poisoning exacerbated by gasoline hydrocarbon, and fumes from a defective car exhaust system. “In our professional and expert opinion based on available evidence, the manner of death is unnatural (accidental)”.
Besides carbon monoxide poisoning, in the case of Madam Lamah, the pathology report said a certain drug was detected in her liver and gastric content.
For Mr. Nyensuah, the report said he bore wounds in the head, chest and abdomen and that he died of massive hemorrhage, multiple wounds and sub tissue injuries.
“In our expert and professional opinion, the manner of death is unnatural”. Other classifications of this unnatural death is either accidental, suicidal or homicidal that will require further police detective investigation”, the autopsy findings read.
Despite its unprecedented nature, their deaths never deserved even a line in the President’s annual State of the Nation message. In the wake of the deaths, the Liberian leader had urged Liberians to get their own CCTV cameras installed in their various areas, as government was not able to provide security for each and every one of the country’s four million population or so.
President Weah however reported the deaths of government officials and other prominent personalities during the year under review and towards the end of his speech said:
“Madam Vice President and President of the Senate, Mr. Speaker, Mr. President Pro-Tempore and Members of the 54th Legislature: I have duly reported to you on the state of the Liberian nation, and from my report we can rightfully conclude that the State of our Nation is stable and peaceful,” President Weah said in his State of the Nation Address.