Monrovia — Stressing for the opening of Emmanuel Bowier Library could not have been over emphasized at the Memorial service of the late Rev. J. Emmanuel Z. Bowier, who passed away last year.
The memorial service, which was held at the Monrovia City Hall, brought together many sympathizers including Vice President Jewel Howard-Taylor, clergymen and women, family, former schoolmates, friends, students, well-wishers and the media, to grace the program.
The late Rev. Bowier, former Minister of Information during the Samuel K. Doe regime, was known for his historic programs on various radio stations in Monrovia and Firestone. He was considered a great wealth of knowledge to many Liberians, including Vice President Jewel Howard Taylor, who, too, paid her tribute.
"The idea of a library that will house all of his many books is actually in order. We hope the family will consider it and call on us at another time to see what we can do to help. I believe that will be the legacy that we will not just own a library that people won't go there, but that it become a center of learning, research and information so that we get the Liberian History right," said Vice President Taylor
According to the Veep, when one lives right, not only heaven belongs to that person but their legacy lives on.
"I was one of Rev. Bowier prodigies at the Foreign Service Institute. He would call me some mornings and say, 'You girl come here.' He would tell me all kinds of stories. I think what he wanted most, was a legacy where people would know their history and find our path we lost over the years. He wanted Liberia to find that path back to the greatness that God has given us as a nation," she said.
Speaking on behalf of Mr. Charles Snetter of Radio Monrovia, clergywoman Clr. Pearl Browne Bull said Bowier used to invite her on his show to share knowledge to the Liberian people. Writing a book is not the thing, because people would usually say write a book, but when you publish a book, nobody will buy it.
"Those in radio land and those who are here, we must pay Bowier by trying to open a library in his name. All President [William V. S.] Tubman's paper, he has it there. I can make photocopies on Tubman's Open Door Policy from 1944, Dr. Edward Dunn wrote it. Every newspaper and all the old gossips to correct these people are all there."
She stated that one day they were called by the State Department to speak on OAU Day. "I told Bowier that we should go on Radio Monrovia and share the education. But everybody who called in and said the program was nice. They all said that they wanted copy of the recordings. Unfortunately, not a single copy out of the 200 copies was purchased. So Bowier, could not write his book, because he did not have any money. I beg you, I do not know who the head of this library rally is, but my office is on Randall Street, young people please come and buy some of those recordings to contribute to the library," Clr. Bull pleaded.
In the City Hall room that the memorial service was held, it brought back old memories of Rev. Bowier's former old friends and roommates. Each spoke highly of him and the kind of man they knew him to be and the principals he stood.
Former Ambassador George Wallace said Rev. Bowier taught history at the Foreign Service Institute, at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and was always engaging his students.
"He was a man of actions. He used to take his students to the Centennial Memorial Pavilion, the Providence Island and other places and taught them the importance of those places.
"At the Pavilion, he would let the students know what statute of President J.J. Roberts and President Tubman shaking hands represented and the statute of an indigenous lady and an Americo-Liberian lady meant. He would also take them inside of the building of the Pavilion to a particular spot within the building. He would tell his students that every president is inaugurated under that star before taking office. On the outside of the Pavilion, he would show them the Tomb of former President Hilary W. R. Johnson, the man who saved Liberia from being under the British rule. He said President Johnson stopped the British from hosting their flag on Liberia's soil. Bowier lived a good life; he was an educator, who wanted people to know their history. He is alive through his books. You can open a library for the man in his name," Amb. Wallace, a very long-service Foreign Service official, said.
Also speaking was Dr. Augustine Konneh, who during some point, headed the Foreign Service Institute. Dr. Konneh said Rev. Bowier had vast knowledge and his story-telling ability was good because his accounts were so accurate.
"He had the power of collection that was tremendous and because he kept good notes and preserved papers. He educated vast Liberians through his radio programs. Let me end by saying Rev. Bowier contributed to peace in this country, reconciliation and national building and therefore, he was a patriot and may his soul rest in peace."
The late Rev. Bowier's roommates, headed by Mr. Ounzuba Kemah Gama, spoke about their student life at the University of Liberia in the early 1970s. He narrated how their room 099 in the boys' dormitory, was a lively room and they had so much fun those days. He recalled that they used to have university symposiums and Rev. Bowier delivered a paper on the case for the creation of a multi-campuses University system in Liberia.
"One thing we all would like to emanate from him, is that Bowier did not put much value on material things and that is something that is not very much common today, and those who came close to him realized that a few dollars did not make a difference to him. Whether he had money of not, it did not matter. His life was not defined by material things. Typical example, his house is still not finished, while people are building houses in six months. But even as a Minister of Information, he had no inch of greed in him. Even as Minister of Information, he was still Emmanuel, because there are friends of ours who became big people and when we went to look for them, we had to fill in forms, but Emmanuel was not like that, power did not get to his head. He was honorable, honest and did not have an inch of greed in him. That was the greatest example as an older brother I did not have," said Mr. Gama.
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Dr. Jonathan Taylor said he and Bowier were like brothers because they grew up together from their teenage days at Todee Mission, where they formed part of the debating club. According to him, they used to debate and do public speaking. He explained how both he and Bowier served as Cabinet Ministers during the Samuel K. Doe-led Administration and they usually hung heads in handling situations.
"Few years ago, people used to call and ask me, 'Are you listening to the radio', and when I ask why are they asking me, they would say, 'Rev. Bowier mentioned your name and said if you think I am lying, ask Jonathan Taylor, he is my witness,'" he said.
Member of the Muslim Community were also present at the Memorial service and paid tribute to the late Rev. Bowier, Imam Sheik Mohammed A. Kiazolu said Rev. Bowier was a very good man, who always told the truth and he was also a friend to the Muslim Community and they miss him, dearly.
At the same time, students of an Islamic school said the late Rev. Bowier used to call them at his house and educated them, and he was a great mentor to them.
