The longest serving senator and godfather of Nimba politics, Senator Prince Yormie Johnson, early Thursday morning, November 28, 2024 answered to the call of death at the Women of Hope Hospital, A.B. Tolbert Road, Paynesville. He died at the age 72.
Prior to his death, the late Prince Johnson served as Senator of Nimba County in four Legislatures: 52nd, 53rd, 54th, and 55th, in various capacities, including Chairman of the Senate Committee on Security, Intelligent, and Veteran Affairs; Chairman on Internal Affairs, Governance and Reconciliation; and a long serving member of the ECOWAS Parliament based in Abuja, Nigeria.
Prince Johnson was born on July 6, 1952 in Tapeta, Nimba County, and was brought up by an uncle in the capital city of Monrovia. In 1971, while living in Monrovia, he joined the Liberian National Guard (LNG), which was transformed into the Armed Forces of Liberia (AFL) in the aftermath of Samuel Doe’s 1980 overthrow of President William R. Tolbert.
He rose to the rank of Lieutenant, receiving military training in both Liberia and the United States, where he was instructed in military police duties in South Carolina. A stern, often draconian, disciplinarian, he served as aide-de-camp to Gen. Thomas Quiwonkpa, the Commanding General of the Armed Forces of Liberia, and accompanied him into exile in 1983, after Quiwonkpa was accused of plotting a coup against Doe.
As an officer in the Armed Forces of Liberia (AFL), Johnson allied himself with Charles Taylor’s National Patriotic Front of Liberia (NPFL) rebel group when it launched the first civil war in 1989 to overthrow President Samuel Doe.
Due to a rift with Taylor, Johnson soon formed an NPFL splinter group, the Independent National Patriotic Front of Liberia (INPFL), which captured, tortured and executed Doe in 1990.
Following continued clashes with Taylor and the pro-Doe ULIMO group, the INPFL was disbanded and Johnson was forced into exile in Nigeria in 1992, where he converted to Christianity and reconciled with the Doe family.
Johnson returned to Liberia in 2004 following the end of the second Liberian civil war and was elected to the Liberian Senate in the 2005 Liberian general election. He founded a political party, the National Union for Democratic Progress (NUDP) in 2010, before being expelled from it in 2014.
He then founded a new party, Movement for Democracy and Reconstruction (MDR) in 2016. He was thereafter re-elected to the Senate in 2014 and 2023. He was also an unsuccessful candidate for President in 2011 and 2017, respectively finishing in third and fourth place in the first round, and becoming very instrumental in deciding who wins the run-off in both the 2017 and 2023 presidential elections.
Meanwhile, the public affairs committee and the protocol responsible to coordinate the funeral itineraries of the late senator have released the official schedule for the funeral and burial, offering an opportunity for family, friends, colleagues, and constituents to pay their final respects to him.
According to the itinerary, “Tuesday, January 14, 2025, 10:00 a.m.–4:30 p.m., the body of the late Senator will be removed from Samuel Stryker Funeral Home in Monrovia and escorted by the Vice President and senators to the Capitol Building, where the body will lie-in-state for a few hours. Up Capitol Hill, there will be an official tribute ceremony from national leaders and dignitaries.
“5:00 p.m. on the same day, the body will also be escorted to his Christ Chapel of Faith Church, where Senator Johnson served as General Overseer. A night of wake-keeping will be held in his honor, providing a time for spiritual reflection and celebration of his religious contributions.
“Wednesday, January 15, 2025, 2:00 a.m., the body will be escorted to Nimba and make a brief stop in Sanniquellie, Nimba County, for a three-hour tribute ceremony while in route to Karnplay. Local leaders, residents, and well-wishers will have the opportunity to express their gratitude and bid their final farewells.
“Following the Sanniquellie ceremony, the funeral procession will continue to Kanplay City for another wake-keeping and tribute event.
“The body will again be escorted to Saclepea City for additional tributes, offering residents of lower Nimba and surrounding areas the chance to honor the late Senator.
“Thursday, January 16, 2025, a final public viewing will take place at Gompa Football Field, where supporters, admirers, and residents of Nimba will gather to reflect on Senator Johnson’s legacy and his many contributions to the county and the nation.
“On Saturday, January 18, 2025, 10:00 a.m., the grand funeral service will be held at the PYJ University Auditorium, featuring prayers, eulogies, and tributes highlighting his achievements in public service, religious ministry, and community development. After the service, Senator Prince Y. Johnson will be laid to rest.”
