By Jefferson Tamba Koijee, Mayor of the City of Monrovia and Chairman, Revolutionary National Youth League of the governing CDC.
Fellow compatriots, almost two decades today since the first, historical mass people movement of Liberia, the Congress for Democratic Change was birthed to fight and emancipate a group of oppressed and vulnerable people, continuously led by a selective political cabal and class.
This struggle overseen by a phenomenal and enjoyable peace, His Excellency Dr. George Manneh Weah, Vision Bearer and President of the Republic of Liberia has since given hope to a hopeless generation, peace to a country at war on all ends, and unity within a disunited environment.
In the wake of all this care and concern for the people, there have been scars along the way, some that cannot be filled, some irreparable, some disassociation based on disenchantment and disagreements, some gross national betrayal of the populous people’s struggle, but the party remains supreme.
And so was the indefatigable Comrade Wen Sailey alias Christmas who for some time disassociated and realigned with a group of egotistic and power greed, defeatist individuals meant to destabilize the country and the people’s government just five months into the new administration.
The country was plunging into chaos, the echo high and the reverberation of the dark days, where people took to state power by the barrel of the guns or through unorthodox and unconventional ways, our brother Christmas voice was heard loud and clear about the sufferings and mistreatment of our people and we heard him well.
Three months after the infamous but failed insurrection, our comrade, one of the initial forces of the masses’ party, quickly had a spirit reinvigorated and then I received a text 10th September 2019:
“Hey Koijee, This is Christmas, I will like to propose something, as my contribution to Liberia. It won’t cost the government anything. I will do the spending. My goal is to challenge people who have the opportunity to help the less fortunate. If you can, reply to me and we will go from there. This is our generation, we must inspire each other to make this world a better place.”
Despite my initial hesitance, followed by continuous reach out from the US in February of 2020 and other dates by Christmas and through a trusted comrade in arm of mine who vouched for him, I reluctantly accepted our first interaction and accepted a called March 15, 2020 where we spoke for over thirty minutes during which time he expressed his interest in rejoining the populous people’s struggle, the Mighty Coalition for Democratic Change. It conjured the scenario of a prodigal son.
Four months after a series of conversations, he then boarded a Brussels Airline flight on the 15th July 2020 to Monrovia and we sat together formally on July 17, 2020 to begin cementing our relationship at CDC HQ, specifically the Revolutionary National Youth League office, where our fallen comrade assured me of visiting the office of a friend of his who had just got elected but had fallen short of the ideas, mantras and philosophy for which he was elected.
And on 4th August 2020, Comrade Wen Christmas Sailey officially reclaimed his identity with the CDC ideologies and decisively took on the mantle to help accelerate the people’s revolution in his own style and charisma.
He was quick to reaffirm his commitment in a post, “Many thanks to the masses party for welcoming back home. I’m sorry for leaving you guys in the struggle for the past 2 years. I am back to join ranks for more wins together to preserve our party and to leave Liberia into a better tomorrow. God bless Liberia, the President and God bless CDC 🙏.”
One thing to note, during those interactions, his intuition and thoughts about the Liberian renaissance and courage to keep making strides developmental wise as a government blew me off my feet. Coincidentally, we are speaking of the demise of this great revolutionary in the same month of MARCH.
Since that first interaction, Wen Christmas Sailey became one of the most admired, one of the most beloved, and, without any doubt, the most extraordinary of our comrades of revolution. He was soon intoxicated with a profound spirit for social justice and advocacy and hate against injustices thus holding firm his belief for party and the emancipation of our people from economic degradation.
Christmas was one person liked immediately because of his simplicity, his nature, his naturalness, comradeship, personality, conviction, uniqueness even before his other singular virtues were revealed.
In the 2020 Senatorial Election, everyone focused on one style of politicking in the Liberian democratic corridor when he revolutionized the system to a human shield billboard hanging on himself in the streets of Monrovia fully branded with candidate Thomas Fallah and undertakings of the CDC nationally. For Christmas, this was a revolutionary calling he had to execute.
The Youth League immediately was amazed by the reincarnated party devotee on the block, overzealous, passionate about his doings and changing Liberian politics to new heights, oh Christmas, a soldier, a gladiator, an astute revolutionary and a dependable character, a brave and unrepentant CDCIAN who never had to be asked to embark on a mission.
While we cherish his memories we are aware that the detractors are at it again to circumvent our honest and desired love for one of us but remember this, CDCIANS don’t die and even as they go on to the other shores to continue their mission, attempts to deny the veracity or worth of their concepts and ideas cannot be tolerated.
That’s why in Christmas final days he would write “For those of you who think that I deserve to die young because I support President Weah, guess what? U too will die, it’s just a matter of time. At least for me, I have an expected end. I am a proud CDCIAN and I owe no apology and I will establish a CDC chapter in Heaven when I get there.”
But we can assure Wen Christmas Sailey that he and all other fallen compatriots: Munah Pennoh, Morris Kromah, Papie Solo, James Gray and others whose greatest wish was to have George Weah elected and re- elected that on that beautiful inauguration morning of 2024 January, when the people have reaffirmed their popular will, we will majestically march at your respective graves and join ranks, holding arms with party ideologues, paratroopers, compatriots, party faithfuls, revolutionary comandante, irredentists, standing soldiers and we shall all jointly sing in a loud, singular voice WEN SAILEY; MUNAH PENNOH, MORRIS KROMAH, JAMES GRAY, PAPIE SOLO YOUR PARTY THE MIGHTY COALITION FOR DEMOCRATIC CHANGE IS STAY ALIVE; FOR THERE ARE NO DEAD HEROES FOR YOU ALL REMAIN ABSOLUTE PROPERTY OF GENERATIONS YET UNBORN!!
REPOSE IN THE GRACEFUL AND MERCIFUL HANDS OF GOD AND FULFILL YOUR HEAVENLY DREAMS 😭😭😭…JTK
