Hundreds of mourners including President George Manneh Weah, former and current cabinet ministers; diplomats and government officials bade a veteran politician, Oscar Jaryee Quiah farewell.
The funeral service which was held at the Sinkor Assemblies of God Church in Monrovia was emotionally charged, as it did not only bring together the bereaved family, but opposing politicians from the governing party and the oppositions.
In his sermonic discourse, Reverend Edwin Amandu Gbelly, General Superintendent of the Assemblies of God Church, said Oscar Jaryee Quiah died as a stranger in the sight of God.
He said this is because every human being on this earth is passing through as he or she will not remain here forever, was it with the late statesman Quiah.
Gbelly stated that through his private or public life, he wanted things to be better. “He died as a stranger in faith because in oneself you know not when, how and where to succeed in your God and your people, ”Gbelly stated.
“If you have faith in your people, why must you go and take people from the rural area and bring them to Monrovia to vote for you? Be like Abraham in the Holy Bible who the Lord made to believe in his people,” he noted.
He stated among many things that Quiah participated in both private and public sectors in an effort to make things better for which he and other progressives or activists let go their tomorrow for the sake of others’ today.
On national issues, the Pentecostal prelate said Liberians are in a country of rule of law; therefore, if it is to be better, it must be a place of opportunity as security must be prioritized.
“If the country is insecurity, it cannot be better because there are both bad and good politicians some of whom undermine their own district’s developmental programmes or projects,” Gbelly indicated.
He continued: “If these politicians continue to undermine their own country’s forward march like running it as a land of the jungle, how do we expect it to be a better place? Only Liberians can make Liberia better and not outsiders.”
Gbelly then reminded the congregation and Liberians that though the President and the Vice President took oath, but that does not suggest that everything is like making the country a better place to live, must be left with them.
Quiah, 77, died on Saturday, January 30, 2021, after a period of illness. OJ or Sokopay, as he was affectionately known served in various capacities of the Liberian state.
Among them was former Vice Chairman, Council of State; former Minister erstwhile Local Government, Rural Development and Urban Reconstruction now Internal Affairs Ministry; former Minister of Postal Affairs; former Managing Director, National Housing Authority(NHA); former Director General, Civil Service Agency (CSA) and former Managing Director and the Liberia Telecommunications Corporation (LTC).
Others were founding Secretary general, erstwhile Progressive Alliance of Liberia(PAL), founding secretary general of the Progressive People’s Party (PPP); founding Secretary General, United people’s Party (UPP) and former Secretary General, National Democratic Party of Liberia (NDPL).