Zekepa — Madam Gifty Gwaikolo, the wife of the late former Representative of Nimba County District #9 Johnson Gwaikolo, has praised the opposition Coalition for Democratic Change (CDC) for the level of support given to the family during the passing of her husband, who was an executive member of the CDC prior to his demise on February 19, 2024.
Gwaikolo, a former Nimba County Representative, died at the St. Joseph Catholic Hospital in Monrovia. He was renowned as both a seasoned politician and an educator. He served as the Representative of Nimba District #9 for six years in the 54th Legislature, during which he chaired the Committee on Education and later assumed the role of Chair on the House Committee on Rules, Order, and Administration. He also served as President of the United Methodist University (UMU) and later became an executive member of the CDC as its Vice Chairman for International Affairs.
After his passing, former President George Weah and several other senior members of the CDC visited his home in Paynesville, Montserrado County, to console the family over their loss.
After a State Funeral at the Capitol Building, Gwaikolo's family took his remains to his hometown of Zekepa, Nimba County. His political party, the CDC, was fully represented during both the silent wake keeping and the burial that took place on March 30, 2024.
During the early morning hours, CDC partisans led by Secretary General Jefferson Koijee paraded through center Zekepa to show support for their fallen hero.
After the parade and the chanting of battle cries, Gwaikolo's wife was moved to leave her home and reach out to supporters, expressing her gratitude for consoling her and the family.
"I want to take this time on behalf of your father to say thank you. Thank you so very much. As much as I am hurt, you all are making me ease down a little bit," Madam Gwaikolo said. She added, "When my husband believed in something, he believed in it. He was not a man who would go behind the house and say something. The moment he joined CDC, he told all his family whatever they (CDC) said and did to him. He said, 'Gifty, CDCians are all Liberians. I didn't go to Europe to join a group. I joined a group in Liberia that I believe in.' He said that and I'm sure that he believed in it."
Madam Gifty Gwaikolo Urges CDCians To Be Peaceful
After applauding for their support, Madam Gwaikolo urged them to be peaceful and respectful like her husband, the man they admired so much.
"What I will say to you young people, your father, your grandfather, your uncle was a very peaceful man. I told him the other day that he and George Weah came from the same house. Peaceful, respectful, that is what he was. The places Johnson Gwaikolo has worked in his life, not only in Liberia, in the United States, where he controlled White people and the respect he got from there were too many," she said.
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Madam Gwaikolo added, "So, when he joined CDC and he started receiving those respects, he said to me, 'I will take all the lashes I can take, I have joined already.' So, you all be peaceful, that is what I will leave with you all. Be peaceful because when you are peaceful, someone will be peaceful to you. Today, when he was not a peaceful man, you will not see all these people you see here. When you join somebody, make sure and you see the end. You all be peaceful and respectful then his soul will rest in peace."
The late former Representative's wife further disclosed that being disrespectful does not make you a good citizen. Such an attitude, she said, had not built any country.
"It will not build our country. Because if abusing leaders was building the country, this district #9, we would have planes getting down here because of the way they abused him. They will go and abuse him and say the plane will be getting down in Zekepa, let go and abuse the old man again, the next day they will see one big hospital, and so, it doesn't help us," she said.
