An American-trained bio-physician and medical researcher in Liberia, Dr. John N. Zemou, is crying SOS to save the lives of his wife, child and himself, as they are suffering from severe inflictions meted out on them by an Executive Mansion security officer in Monrovia.
“We need an intervention to take my family of three from Liberia to the United States of America or any other advanced country for serious medication, protection and rehabilitation; there is no security, needy medicare, human rights protection and rehabilitation for us in Liberia,” cried Dr. John Zemou.
Dr. Zemou made the disclosure in an exclusive interview held recently at the headquarters of the Press Union of Liberia on Clay Street in Monrovia.
He made special “SOS appeal” to goodwill ambassadors, foreign missions and other humanitarians at home and abroad for rescue—not justice—but to save the lives of his family.
He said the public appeal is necessary to save the lives of his family because there is no individual, institution religious group or government official has shown concern or care for the safety of his family.
According to Dr. John N. Zemou, his ordeal begun on September 21, 2016 at about 11:00 p.m. when an Executive Mansion security officer, Josephine Santy, and her sister led attackers on his family at his Micro Biomedical Clinic and Research Center, which was located in Barnard’s Farm, Paynesville, in an attempt to recover their relative’s house already rented out to him at a rental fee of US$45.00 per month.
“I spent US$1,795.00 to complete the renovation, and used US$1,170.00 as rental fees for 26 months, covering from June 2014 to August 2016, indebted in my favor a balance of US$625.00, far ahead of the expiration of the rental agreement,” he noted.
Dr. Zemou revealed that, prior to the attack, the EPS officer forcibly took away from him the legal papers of the rental agreement, including various receipts for money spent on the house, as well as the original copies of his American/UNHCR academic and other professional credentials, including some American, UNHCR documents on September 19, 2016.
He said that his wife, who was over seven months pregnant, was hit on her stomach, noting that these actions posed severe health problems to her, leading to premature surgical delivery.
According to him, the Omega Police Depot arrested and detained the attackers for their unlawful action against the residents at midnight, Officer Josephine Santy, who was dressed in her uniform, ordered the detainees released from further detention and later led the attackers back to his residence and clinic research center to further loot the entire building in broad day.
He said Officer Santy further chased his sick family at the Benson Hospital, but the hospital’s security guards however denied her violent demands to reach the patients.
Dr. John said his wife and child are severely sick in a bordering town in Guinea, while he has turned into a mere beggar in Monrovia for their survival.
The National Christians Council of Liberia (NCCL), according to report, received Dr. Zemou’s complaint and invited Officer Josephine Santy at the NCCL office at Free Pentecostal Global Church in Sinkor, Monrovia. At the meeting, Officer Santy and her sister could not deny or confirm their involvement, but officer Santy told the council that she regrets the incident, as it was her sister who led her into the mess. She and her sister later walked out of the meeting with impunity.
Accordingly, the NCCL adjudged Officer Santy wrong for the attacks, and promised to later issue to Dr. John a Letter of Attestation to the fact in the matter.
“When my plight reached to the EPS Director, Sam Gaye, he conducted a probe and also adjudged that Officer Santy was wrong, but later left my family abandoned for over seven months in the Benson Hospital in Paynesville.
“On April 14, 2017, at about 8:30 a.m., I took my family to the then President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf for possible intervention, but regrettably officer Santy ordered LNP officers to have us beaten, thereby worsening our health and security situations.
“And so the Ex-president Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, ex-Labor Minister Moses Y. Kollie, EPS Ex-Director Sam Gaye and the National Police, among others, are fully aware of this episode,” availed Dr. John.
According to the information gathered from documentary evidences from Dr. Jimi O. Benson of the Benson Hospital, MSF France, Rev. Alexander K. Pewu and other Christian bodies in Monrovia, Dr. John Zemou’s family has become a new victim of the misuse of state power in Liberia. He is seeking opportunity to reach President George Weah and other top government officials, including Western embassies in Monrovia, for possible SOS assistance.