By Hassan Kiawu
Even during his final moments, Phillip N. Wisseh was making jokes and teaching. His most popular joke was a story of an NPFL Commander who was reported to have been killed during Liberia’s brutal civil war. As the story went, the presumed “dead commander” came to town and approached the reporter, who wrote about his death. He asked the reporter to retract his story. “I stand by my story that you are dead”, said the reporter. “Can’t you see that I’m alive and you have reported that I’m dead”, the commander pointed out. “I say, so far I’m concerned you are dead”, the reporter insisted. Phillip had always narrated this story to remind journalists to check their facts before publishing. Or at the very least apologize when you err. That was Gina for you folks.
I knew Philip in the mid 80’s when I was hustling my way into the Daily Observer newspaper. Back then I was writing sports and my friend J. Burgess Carter would publish them. Phillip had graduated years earlier from D. Tweh High School in New Kru town, the only borough on the entire Bushrod Island strip that never sleeps. There, he served as news editor for the Press Club while his buddy Gabriel Williams served as his Deputy. Phillip left Gabriel at the helm after graduation but was not so lucky to get a job sooner.
It was Gabriel who got a scholarship to attend an overseas training course. But the criteria was that he must have at least six months of Newsroom experience, which he did not have. A generous Kenneth Yarkpawolo Best accommodated Gabriel Williams at the Daily Observer to get his feet wet. Not too long, he recommended his buddy Phillip Wisseh to serve as the correspondent for New Kru town and its vicinity.
His performance was so impressive that Mr. Best hired him and trained him. It was during one of my “hanging around” the Observer, then located at the tip of Crown Hill on Broad Street that I came across Phillip. That was around 1986. “Pekin, I always see you around here, what do you want” he asked. “I came to see Burgess Carter or T-Max Teah”, I responded. Carter was the Sports editor and the late T-Max was the News Editor. I explained my situation and he promised to get my feet in the door by interceding on my behalf.
Phillip had good eyes for news and he knew how to keep his ears to ground to collect every bit. He was very active, prolific with a great sense of humor and proven leadership skills. Thus the name GINA. T-Max became sick and later died. Pa Best appointed Phillip to replace him. That drew anger from all quarters except his buddy Gabriel who supported his ascendancy. While Phillip was trying to get me in, I got a job as a reporter in 1987 with the Daily Post newspaper which was managed by the late Varney Pasewee (former Press Secretary to Pres. Charles Taylor) while the late J. Nagbe Sloh (former Sinoe County Rep aka “talk yor own”) served as the editor. There, I met Augustine Ogogo, also as a reporter.
After two months, the late Mass Communication Professor at the University of Liberia, Joe Wolobah Mulbah hired me at the Sports World Newspaper, managed by the late Willis Knuckles. The paper had assembled five sharp reporters and a prolific cameramen, Mozart Dennis. Gabriel da Costa and Emmanuel Williams first joined the paper. Then Thomas Doe-Nah (the current Commissioner-General of the Liberia Revenue Authority) and I joined in late 1987. Lenn Eugene Nagbe (current Maritime Commissioner) became the last addition. The five of us wrote the paper for two years until the war. We covered the George Weah transfer money issue from Cameroun to Monaco. This saga generated interest from the late President Samuel Doe (Chief Patron of Sports), who launched an investigation into the matter by recalling the late Ambassador Calton Karpeh.
Phillip had found the job for me at the Observer but did not know I was already attached until he saw me in a Sports World Newspaper jersey during a football match against them at the Antoinette Tubman Stadium. He was happy for me and he wished me well.
The war by Charles Taylor’s NPFL entered the Paynesville red-light district on July 2, 1990. Things began to slow down. By mid-July, the rebels had gained significant grounds. So, we closed down. We did not meet again until September 1990 after the INPFL rebels led by then self-styled Field Marshall Prince Y. Johnson (now Nimba County Senator) killed the late President Samuel Kanyon Doe after he was captured along with some of his henchmen at the Freeport of Monrovia during a visit with the ECOWAS peace keeping force, ECOMOG.
With the presence of ECOMOG, life began to return to normal. Monrovia and parts of Sinkor were abandoned and regarded as ghost towns. Bushrold Island (between Freeport and the Island Clinic junction) became Monrovia. The area was bustling with commercial activities. There were no shortages of electricity and water supplies, and looted goods. There were also no shortages of summary executions of INPFL rebels and civilians by Prince Johnson for alleged looting.
In October 1990, the late Veteran journalist, Rufus M. Darpoh gathered journalists in areas under the control of ECOMOG and established the first post-war newspaper called TORCHLIGHT. Among the pioneers were Phillip Wisseh, Gabriel Williams, Togba Slewion, Suah Deddeh, Grody Dorbor, Barbara Koffa, Siaka Konneh, Burgess Carter, the late John Vambo, the late Klon Hinneh, Nyenati Allison Sr., J. Nagbe Sloh, Gregory Himie Stemn, Emmanuel Abalo, Massa Washington, Sam Van Kesselley, Pete Kahler and myself. I was then working for ELBC which was operated from the ECOMOG base at the Free Zone Authority at Bong Mines Bridge next to the LEC Bushrod Island plant.
As things improved, the Torchlight was disbanded. Then came several newspapers including the Eye Newspaper operated by Suah Deddeh and the Inquirer Newspapers owned and operated by Phillip Wisseh, Gabriel Williams and S. Togba Samuel Slewion. They assembled top-notch reporters. After a good reportage on the international economic conference in Liberia in 1993, Phillip, Sam Van Kesselley and I were offered a week-long training course on economic and financial reporting in Accra, Ghana by Mr. David Vinton, Governor of the Central Bank of Liberia (formerly the National Bank of Liberia). During our training, we had fun and visited the Bumdumbura refugee camp.
Fast forward, I traveled to the US in 1996 and after 15 years, I returned to Liberia to manage the Communication arm of the Ministry of Agriculture, then the LEC and finally as Clinical Communication Manager at the NIH-sponsored clinical research project on Ebola and Infectious Diseases (aka PREVAIL). Phillip was very supportive. But it was at PREVAIL and the Liberia Broadcasting System (during my pro-bono work) that I received tremendous support.
I would call Phillip at the last moment to help conduct media trainings for me in Monrovia, Kakata and at LBS. And he never disappointed me. He, along with Raymond Kolubah Zarbay, Frank Sainworla always kept their words. He helped many people achieve their dreams. He had a soft heart.
During his lifetime, Phillip had a seat in the homes of his employees and friends. He offered pieces of advice, served as a father, big brother and never boasted of any seniority. He was always making jokes and teaching. For him, upholding ethics and professionalism was the hallmark of this noble profession. I could go on and on. But I must stop here. However, before I go, let me thank President George Manneh Weah, Gabriel Williams, T-Max Jlateh, the staff of the Inquirer and other colleagues who cared and supported him during his illness.
So, as we mourn his loss, may his soul rest in peace and may his memory be a blessing to us all. Rest on Gina, till we meet again.
