Ladies and Gentlemen:
I would like to take this time to give thanks to the Almighty for mercifully sparing our lives to be here this afternoon for the purposes of memorializing victims of the Barkeidu Massacre. Additionally, I would like to recognize and thank the organizing committee for selecting me to be the keynote speaker at this year’s memorial service. I thought I also inform you that when I was contacted by one of your organizing committee’s members, in the name of Mr. Francis Duwana, to serve as the keynote speaker, I accepted without reservation.
Many will ask the question why you accepted this request so fast. Well, to answer this question from my perspective as President of the Federation, I believe it is my constitutional responsibility to reach out and unify all peace loving citizens of Lofa County irrespective of religious orientation, cultural heritage, political affiliation or geographical location. To further humanize this as a human being – mainly being a citizen of Lofa County – it is important that I empathize with my fellow brothers and sisters in the time of need. This, I believe, is a sociological norm of mankind and it is universally accepted in a civilized society.
Therefore, I must admit to you that I am humbled to be called upon at this moment of our county’s history where peace seems to be fragile and hatred and vindictiveness are gradually manifesting themselves into the arteries of our hard earned peace.
Fellow citizens of Quardu Gboni District, based on these reasons, I have decided to speak to you on the topic: Honoring the legacy of the victims and simultaneously partnering to enhance the socio-economic development of our County: One people One Lofa

Considering this historic day that had been set aside to memorialize victims of the Barkeidu Massacre, I must say that I unequivocally concur with you that it is a noble and remarkable thing to do. It humanizes the situation and reconstructs that momentous day. It is a day that history must capture and record as “the preying of the innocents.”

I say this because those patriot sons and daughters of Lofa County did not deserve to die at the hands of their fellow countrymen. The people did not call for this but they were succumbed to evil men and women. Our mothers, fathers, brothers, sisters and other relatives did absolutely nothing that can be equated to extermination. However, when innocent sons and daughters of Lofa County woke up to attend to their normal daily routine and without warning; Barkeidu Township was immediately converted to the land of terror.
They were cold bloodily murdered and those that committed such heinous crime are murderers. For those evil men and women that believed on that fateful day that they possessed the time clock to dictate when their fellow citizens should die, I say to them on this fateful day, at this time and at this place that there is no statue of limitation that protects them from their crime; they shall be prosecuted in the court of law.

Yes, Barkeidu massacre had left enduring scars, I have come to tell you, on behalf of the leadership of FLAA, that you should not waiver, you should not succumb yourself to fear; neither should you allow your spirit to be deterred. It is time for you to wipe off your tears, dust off your pants, strengthen yourself and be resilient at all cost. It is time you speak out when you feel your rights are about to be tempered with; it is time that you join the chorus of social justice advocacy group to make sure “never again” shall the Barkeidu Massacre replicate itself.
Those murderers’ goal, as I epitomize it, was to infuriate, silent and isolate you. Do not allow them to accomplish their goal. If you allow them to accomplish their goal, you will be awarding victory to them.

It is based on this premise, I encourage you to have a renew sense of hope that opens a new page. A sense of hope that cultivates a framework of collaborative partnership; a sense of hope that transcends beyond stereotypes and ethnocentrism; a sense of hope that unleashes a new paradigm shift in the socio-economic development; a sense of hope that embraces peace and diversity; a sense of hope that makes you a partner and not a visitor; most of all, a sense of hope that challenges the status quo where barriers are broken.

I believe it is time for you, as citizens of Quardu Gboni District, to garner vigor from this horrible ordeal by honoring the legacy of the victims through fostering reconciliation and unity because those victims were peaceful; continue to be proud of your cultural identity because those victims died because of their cultural identity; be diverse and respectful because those victims died because they were accommodating and respectful; be receptive and tolerant to all tribes because those victims tolerated and accommodated strangers within their township. By doing these things, you will illuminate your culture of resiliency and a heart of a hero. Fellow citizens of Quardu Gboni District, let not your heart be troubled at this time; because in the mist of adversity when hope seems to be lost, the home of the braves is called; a home that is imbued with the culture of peace and diversity; a home that is enriched with intelligentsia; a home that uses pen than the sword; moreover, it is a home where group with inherent trait of heroism will rise up to realign history for the weak and that home is you. You have won the battle my brothers and sisters.

It is upon this joyful victory, where the culture of resiliency is seen as a custom and a heart of a hero is celebrated, I have come with an open mind to appeal to everyone of you to say: Let’s unite for the betterment of our children and our county; let us uplift the Federation by being a member; let us diversify our entrepreneur spirit to empower other Lofans in our county; If we come together sociably and harmoniously, I am confident that the perpetrators heads will be buried in perpetual shame while prosecution awaits them.

In conclusion, I must say that the Barkeidu Massacre like all massacres in Lofa County and Liberia will forever remain indelible in our minds as long as we live. It is in this vain that I would like to recommend that a monument be erected to honor all fallen Lofans of the war to remind us about the cause of war and to say “NO” to war because we are One People.

With that, fellow citizens, I am proud to leave you with this message and that message is the victims are directly with Allah looking down on us and saying in unison “Let peace be with you all.”
Long live the people of Lofa County

I thank you,