As the saying goes, “Give a man his flowers while he is alive.” So was it when a staunch member of the Association of Female Lawyers of Liberia, Cllr. Peal Brown-Bull, and the former Minister of Foreign Affairs, Olubanke King Akerele, paid a visit to former Associate Justice of the Supreme Court, Cllr. Gladys Johnson, whose home was gutted by fire on July 22, 2021, leaving her to move down into the basement of her one-storey building.
Explaining her ordeal to Akerele and Cllr. Bull, former Associate Justice Johnson said she was in-door watching television with her family during the night time when one of her daughters came running, informing them that the house was on fire.
According to her, she mournfully questioned the girl, “But how did it happen?” She said she sadly managed to get down the stairs and crossed the road to watch her house, which she built since 1977, burn down.
The former Associate Justice said no one could give the cause of the fire, although neighbors in the community said they observed what resembled a petrol bomb flying over the house before the fire gutted the house.
Cllr. Peal Brown-Bull empathized with her, and said she and Akerele decided to express their empathy over the unfortunate incident.
The visiting guests offered the victim of the fire a token in an envelope for her upkeep during this time of her tragedy.
According to Cllr. Bull, she and Cllr. Johnson stayed together in the United States of America, and that Cllr. Johnson was a mentor and a mother to her. She prayed that the Almighty God continues to bless the former Associate Justice for all that she did for her.
In response, former Associate Justice Gladys Johnson thanked the visiting guests for identifying with her during her time of loss. She also expressed appreciation to the Chief Justice, Cllr. Francis Korkpor, and former Associate Justice, Kabina Ja’neh, who had visited her earlier.
Angie Brooks, the Founder of the Angie Brooks International Center, also consoled the former Associate Justice via telephone call.
When the Hot Pepper visited the burned building, it was observed that the upper part of the building burned completely, with everything in it, including documents, books, clothes, etc.
As the Liberia National Police (LNP) and the Liberia National Fires Service (LNFS) launched an investigation into what caused the fire, fingers are being pointed at individuals whom she may have had unsettled issues with. However, Cllr. Johnson told newsmen that she does not believe that the incident was caused by anyone, but left the matter with the investigators to dig deeper into its cause.