Diompillor America - News around the Kissi Community

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OFFICIAL REPORT OF MY VISIT TO MONROVIA, FOYA DISTRICT, SIERRA LEONE: KOINDU, BUREDU, KALAHUN, AND KENEMA
MARCH 25- APRIL 11, 2005
PRESENTED TO THE MEMBERS OF DIOMPILLOR AMERICA, INC.:

DEPARTURE FROM NEW YORK

My trip to visit Monrovia and Foya District came through the invitation from the Chairman of Foyah District Development Council (FDDC), Hon. Saa Philip Joe, who is also Member of the National Transitional Legislative Assembly of Liberia, (NTLA), on behalf of his council and the citizens of Foyah District. The purpose was for our organization to participate in the visiting ceremony to Foyah District by the Chairman of the Transitional Government of Liberia, Mr. Guyde Bryant. The trip also afforded me the opportunity to visit Sierra Leone. It was generously sponsored by few members of Diompillor, whom we are very grateful to for their support and they’ll be mentioned later in this report.

MARCH 25, 2005:

I departed for Liberia from New York-JFK International Airport at 11:15 PM on Friday by KLM Royal Dutch Airline, Boeing 747 Flight # 644 to Amsterdam. The next day, Saturday March 26, 2005 at 2:30 local time in Amsterdam, we departed on another KLM Royal Dutch Airline, Flight # 589 for Accra, Ghana and arrived at Kortoko International Airport at 8:15 PM local time. There were many Liberian refugees around the terminal building seeking for their fellow Liberians from the states and other places that will at least help them with few dollars. It is just sad to see our people in a foreign land as vagrants day in and day out as the result of our political unrest in Liberia. I helped few as well as some Ghanaians who helped me around the airport.

MARCH 27, 2005

Sunday March 27, 2005 we left Accra for Liberia on Bellview Airline, Flight # 254 at 2:45 PM and arrived at RIA – Liberia at 4:15 PM local time. I was met on arrival by Ambassador Joseph N. Boakai Sr. on behalf of the Leadership of Foya District Development Council. In front of the so-called terminal building, a one-time warehouse of KLM, I saw dozens of our brothers and sisters, fathers, and mothers, waiting for anyone they can see to seek for help. My heart was troubled and saddened to see our people again suffering in their country as well. I saw many of them selling foodstuffs just to make $5 (Liberian) which can’t even buy a meal.

Upon our arrival in Monrovia, we made contact with the Chairman of Foya District Development Council, Hon. Saa Philip Joe, Vice Chairman F. Sakela Nyumalin, Rev. Fayia A Kabakolie, Women Community Activist, Madam Helena Korfah –Boandolo, Hon. Fayia Kpandeh, Deputy Minister of Lands and Mines, Republic of Liberia, amongst others. We had light refreshment at the residence of Ambassador and Mrs. Boakai and I was taken to a hotel for the night by the Boakais.

MARCH 28, 2005

We began to visit with our citizens around the City of Monrovia. However, the sufferings of our people and the physical destructions around town weren’t any surprising issue to me, because this was my third times in Liberia since the war began. The first time was to visit Foyah when I was involved in a motor accident, the second time was to bury my beloved father, Sectional Chief Kendima Charyoe, and this time as guest of the People of Foyah District in my capacity as President of Diompillor. Later that afternoon, I met with the Leadership of Foyah District Development Council (FDDC) to get briefing on the planed itinerary for my visit both in Monrovia and Foyah District respectively. And after that meeting, Ambassador and Mrs. Joseph N. Boakai volunteered to provide lodging and a vehicle with a driver for me for the entire length of the visit. Also, Hon. Saa Philip Joe, Chairman of Foya District Development Council offered another vehicle and a free cell phone to keep in contact with them around town just in case I needed help. Cell phones are as popular in Monrovia just like in New York and other places here in the states. I was treated with high degree of respect from the day I arrived until my departure from Liberia on April 11, 2005. I am grateful to Hon. Saa Philip Joe, the Boakais, and many others whose names I will not attempt to mention for the fear of omitting anyone. I will always pray that God will unite us as a people and bless us with love for one another.

MARCH 29, 2005

On Tuesday March 29, we met at the Liberia Free Pentecostal Church, 10th Street Sinkor with the Leadership of Foya District Development Council, Tribal leaders, pastors, students, and the citizens. I was officially presented to our citizens as a guest of the district from Diompillor America, Inc. by Hon. Joe. In remarks, I conveyed Diompillor America’s condolences to the Kissi People of Monrovia and Foyah District in particular for the numerous and senseless killings of our citizenry as well as the current suffering they under go as the result of the civil wars in Liberia and Sierra Leone. We stood up for a moment of silence to meditate on those that perished and prayed that their souls rest in God’s Kingdom.

Furthermore, I thanked the FDDC for the leadership role as well as other elders and chiefs that continued to nurture hope to our people. I also spoke on the relief, repatriation, and reconstruction efforts initiated by Diompillor to identify and assist our suffering masses. We as an organization and children of the Kissi Region of Liberia, Guinea, and Sierra Leone were greatly concerned about the destructions and the suffering of our people in those two countries. In that light, I promised them that, whatever it takes for us to identify with them in these difficult days will remain our priority. I used the occasion to call upon every citizen and the churches in particular to continue to play a role of reconciliation, reconstruction, and desist from the attitude of misunderstanding that we learned about in the 10th Street Church between the membership and Pastor Jasper Ndarbolor. Churches should and must remain the symbol of God’s Peace on Earth and not breading grounds for fighting and misunderstand amongst the church leaderships and members that government has to get involve to restore peace and order.


In our meeting, there were some concerns brought about for clarification by me as President of Diompillor such as the issue of the medication that was sent by Liberia Project for the People of Foyah District but never made it to the district according to the citizens, the urgent need to repatriate our citizens to Foyah, University Students’ tuition assistance, amongst others. I told them that, the medication was sent by Liberia Project and we (Diompillor) were asked to underwrite the transportation cost to Foyah District, which we did. It was decided that, that issue and many others will be discussed in Foyah and another meeting will be held upon our return to Monrovia from Foyah, if possible, to discuss any unfinished business in Foyah before my departure for the United States.

In conclusion, it was officially confirmed that I travel along with the Leadership of Foyah District Development Council, elders, chiefs, and other citizens on the official delegation status for the first visit of the Chairman of the National Transitional Government of Liberia, Chairman Gyude Bryant and party. This will afford us the opportunity to see the destruction, suffering, the repatriation efforts of our displaced people, and put together a position statement along with our people in Foyah District that will be presented to Mr. Bryant and party on behalf of the People of Foyah District. And for me, this will also afford me the opportunity to see and report back to the Kissi Community-USA through Diompillor America, Inc. to support our relief, repatriation, and reconstruction efforts for our people.

The Committee to organize the visiting of the Liberian Leader to Foyah was headed by Ambassador Joseph N. Boakai, according to the Executive Mansion released. Ambassador Boakai gave the progress report and the Itinerary of the President’s visit in Lofa County and Foyah District in particular. According to that document from the Executive Mansion which was read by Ambassador Boakai, Chairman Bryant was scheduled to be in Foya from April 4-6, 2005. We then decided to leave for Foya on March 31 and April 1, 2005 respectively to make sure we help our citizens with the huge task of preparation to receive the Liberian Leader and party. Everyone was supportive and willing to make the sacrifice of travel over the bad roads to Foyah.

Those scheduled to travel to Foyah on the official delegation as an advance team were:

By: H. Kendema Charyoe - National President/ Diompillor America, Inc.


When we took over the leadership role of Diompillor 0n October 30, 2004 in Philadelphia, the City of Brotherly Love, we pledged to rebuild bridges of good relationship with our membership that will help us grow stronger as a community/organization. We submitted the administrative platform to the Advisory Board and the members via email that outlined our agenda for 2005-06. We pledged in that document to keep the membership informed on the activities of our community/organization via emails, meetings, and teleconferences. All attempts have been made to do as promised. Unfortunately, majority of our members have not made use of these great opportunities of information. We have arranged several teleconferences but very few people attended. The recent one was an example, which was attended by only three of us. In view of this situation, I want to brief you via email on the status of our organization.

In this briefing, you will read about the overall status of Diompillor, where we stand after 8 months of our leadership, what we have achieved, our obstacles, and where we need to make effort for improvement as an organization. These are the issues I wanted to discuss with you in the recently scheduled teleconference, but all of you didn’t show up with the exception of Mr. and Mrs. Sahr Johnny. Hon. Henry Hali sent in his excuse he had to travel to Minnesota for a funeral.

I. Status Of Our Membership/Kissi Community-USA:
We were challenged right before taking the oath of office on October 30, 2004 by the death of one of our outstanding members, the late Allen Tambah Taylor. Since then, our community continued to face challenges of death and sicknesses. We want to register our profound words of condolences again to all those families whose love ones went to be with the Lord and may their souls rest with our God of Heaven and Earth.
Even as we speak, some of our members are sick and I want to encourage you to continue to pray for them as requested in my previously sent out emails to the membership. They are:
1. Mrs. Marie Yekeh-Saah, our former First Lady of Diompillor
2. Mr. Montgomery T. Saah, Board Member of Diompillor
3. Mrs. Theresa Talawally, Member, New England Chapter of Diompillor and others that I may not know about now. I pray that God will grant them His healing mercies and fast recovery.

II. President’s Report On Official Visit To Monrovia/Foyah District:
It was in February of this year when the Chairman of Foyah District Development Council, Hon. Saa Philip Joe with the advised and consent of the council and our Kissi People, extended us invitations to visit Koindu District, Sierra Leone and Foyah District, Liberia with our elders and leaders. The visits were to familiarize ourselves with the repatriation, reconciliation, and reconstruction efforts in the post wars Liberia and Sierra Leone. We didn’t make the Koindu trip due to our financial limitation, but made the trip to Foyah District with the help of few of our members. I want to commend them for their vision of support in our administration and their names and amount contributed will be listed in our financial report.

I do understand the need and delay of my official report up to this date. However, there are very good reasons that brought about this delay which I wanted to discuss with you during the recent teleconference. I took two weeks excuse without pay from my job and all the work I had to do was reserved for me to complete upon my return. Also, while I was away, some members of Diompillor called my wife and told her that my trip to Liberia wasn’t necessary but I forced myself to travel. In fact, Diompillor members didn’t approve the travel and that was why many of them didn’t pay a dime for the trip. One of them even told my wife that, he has his family to support in Monrovia and will not pay a dime for me to travel to Monrovia/Foyah to enjoy. Another called and got angry with one of our brothers who helped with the trip.

Furthermore, at the time I came back, we lost one of our sisters, the late Rebecca Kumba Tuckett of Lowell, Massachusetts. We got on the emails to inform the community and I had to lead a delegation to that funeral of which majority of our members didn’t attend nor contribute despite all the appeal letters. And dealing with my family to resolved the problems created by those people that called my house in my absent to instigate my wife into confrontation with me regarding the trip, my pending work for the two weeks I was away, the burial of Rebecca, and the regular busy schedules both at work and home kept me very occupied to complete and submit my report immediately.

However, I briefed almost all those who sponsored our trip with their generous contributions with the exception of Mr. Daniel Solee, who also traveled to Monrovia subsequently upon my return. The financial report of my trip was also submitted to the Board Chairman, Mr. Sahr Johnny. It was even suggested by him for me to report to the board first and later to the membership which, of course, was a good idea. But our schedules for that board meeting didn’t work out well.


As we speak, the both reports – financial and my official report covering the visit to Monrovia/Foyah will be sent out via email next week immediately you digest this briefing. Tomorrow, I will be traveling to Baltimore to attend the BWI Alumni Association Annual Convention and will not be in the position to send my report to you all. It wasn’t any form of negligence on my part as President of Diompillor, rather, the busy schedules we all have in this country. Also, the behavioral aspect of some members in our organization who go extra mile just to create problems for us as leaders is sometimes frustrating. I didn’t expect people to call my wife as much as she’s none Kissi just to get her upset about what I do in Diompillor. This happened before when I traveled to Liberia, decided to visit Foya, and was involved in a terrible motor accident that almost took my life away. One key member of Diompillor here called around and told people that, I was on my way to Foyah to mobilize the youth and seek the removal of Hon. Philip Saa Tali as Foyah District Representative in the House of Representatives, Republic of Liberia. As the result, Hon. Tali also received that information and couldn’t visit me in the hospital for the one week I was there dying. Sometimes, I find myself incomprehensible about how some of us behave to each other but still find time to preach about unity and love for our community. I risked my life on those bad roads, traveled to Foyah with our elders, met with our suffering masses, brought messages and letters from them to many that didn't even contribute for me to travel. And for someone to consider such a trip as an enjoyable one leaves me in shock, disbelief, and total discontentment. We need to desist from such wicked endeavors if we want a better Kissi Community-USA. This is sometimes discouraging.

III. Status of the Relief, Repatriation, And Reconstruction Committee (RRRC): We organized this committee due to the vital and the on going affliction of our people in the refugee camps as indicated by Hon. Saa Philip Joe, Chairman of Foyah District Development Council, during his visit here early this year. I went to Foya District and visited many of our former towns and villages. I traveled through Sierra Leone on my way back to Monrovia and saw the condition of our Kissi People in the post war Sierra Leone. We appointed many of our elders, community leaders, and experienced individuals of our community as members of this relief, repatriation, and reconstruction committee. The members, through their Chairman, Mr. Montgomery T. Saah submitted many recommendations that will enable them carry out the work of the committee effectively and all were approved by the board. One of the recommendations was to open a special bank account in the name of the committee/Diompillor to make sure all proceeds contributed are accounted and used for the relief work. There were series of teleconferences followed by letters mailed out by the Chairman. We sent the Article of Incorporation to the Treasurer, Mr. Isaac Manjoe to open the bank account but up to present, we have received no report from him. And in the midst of all these, I have received a letter of resignation from Mr. Montgomery Saah about two weeks ago. In his letter of resignation, he said that it’s because of lack of cooperation from the committee members and his poor health that he decided to step down as chairman.

I have written Mr. Saah to send us the financial report of this committee to see what has been collected, but up to now, no result. We want to decice the appointment of a new chairman, re-structure the committee, and move on. Some of our brothers from different countries wrote and request the bank information so as to send in their contribution to the relief efforts, but we cannot get anything from the Paramount Chief. If the bank account wasn’t open by Mr. Manjoe as we speak, I am asking him via this media to please stop any further processing of the bank account and mail back all the documents that were sent to him for this project. He should also tender in his report which has been requested several times, according to the Chairman, so that the leadership can decide upon the resignation and how we can regroup to continue this challenge of helping our people back home.

IV. Revitalization of Local Chapters:
We pledged to revitalize the chapters of Diompillor in addition to the New England and Pennsylvania/Delaware Chapters. I wrote Mr. Neorlu Tumbeh of New Jersey over four months ago to help with the revitalization process and up to now, he hasn’t given any favorable reply. I wrote Mr. Isaac Manjoe, Dr. Elijah Taylor, Dr. William Salifu, and Mr. Gregory Hallie to help organize a meeting for us to begin the process of organizing a chapter in Maryland, Virginia, and Washington DC Metro Areas. I also sent to Mr. Manjoe the names of almost all of our Kissi People in that area for the four of them to contact them to attend this very important meeting. This has also been over three months and no progress report from them whatsoever.

I will be traveling to Minnesota next month to visit with our people in that area that have already organized themselves. We need to visit and encourage them to work with us. The New York Chapter has scheduled a general meeting for next month to finally the revitalization process of our chapter, and immediately things are finalized, we’ll inform the membership. I also want to visit with our people in the Chicago and Indiana Areas to try to organize a chapter. We will try other means to see how New Jersey and Washington DC Metro Areas can be revitalized and organized. This is where we stand with the revitalization process of chapters for our organization. We need your import in every way to be able to unite our people in the different areas of this country.

V. Tax Exempt - 501 (c) 3 Status For Diompillor And Other projects:
The 501 (c) 3 Status Project was embarked upon by the Interim Leadership of Mr. John Josiah. The board allocated funds for this project and as of today, we have obtained the Employment Identification Number (EIN), the Article of Incorporation, and we opened an official bank account in the name of Diompillor. Unfortunately, the application for the 501 (c) 3 Status wasn’t filed with IRS. We are working with the former Interim President to give us the overall report of the funds. In the meantime, we have begun the application process of this very important document that will assist our organization in many fundraising projects. We will be appealing to some key members in the organization to underwrite the balance cost of this project since our treasury is somehow low and will keep you informed of our progress.

Also, the amount of $300 that our organization sent to Hon. Philip Saa Tali, through the request of the Director of Liberia Project, Mr. Daniel N. Solee to transport the donated medication by Liberia Project to the People of Foyah District was received by Hon. Tali. Unfortunately, the medication was not transported to Foyah. In fact Hon. Tali told the People of Foyah in a general meeting we held at the Liberia Free Pentecostal Church, Foyah District, that, he didn’t receive any medication from Liberia Project for the People of Foyah District. We will peacefully resolve this issue with the leadership of Liberia Project and inform you of our resolution later.

VI. October 30, 2004 Inauguration Report:
We want to express our regret for not submitting the report on our October 30, 2004 Inauguration up to present. The main reason was that, right after the program, the Chairlady for the Inaugural Program, Mrs. Cecelia Sia Kromah traveled to Liberia on a very important trip for few months. We didn’t want to submit this report without her import and decided to wait until she returned. Unfortunately for us, she spent many months in Liberia and just returned last month.

Actually, the program didn’t generate funds as was expected and the main reason was again, lack of cooperation and commitment by many of our members. The raffle tickets that would have generated more funds for us were distributed and many members returned them to us unsold. However, from the sale of the few of us, we’re able to pay for all the winning prices and the balance will be reported to you in our overall financial report. The gate intake took care of the arrears we had to stage the program. The sale of drinks was almost zero and up to now, the balance drinks are in safe keeping. I directed the local leadership to auction the drinks, but up to now, I have no report regarding that request. And now that Mrs. Kromah is back in the states, we will finalize the report and send it out to you. I regret the delay of this report again.

VII. Membership Registration And Due Payments:
At the end of the term of our Interim Leadership, we put together a revised constitution which called for new commitment procedures in our organization. The constitution which was overwhelmingly approved by our membership called for
A. Re-registration Fee of $100.00 per member
B. A monthly due of $10.00 per registered member.
These two provisions formed the basics to test our new commitment in Diompillor after all the years of the period of our dormancy. Up to date, I want to inform you that, about 15 persons met the complete registration process and 5 persons made part payment of $25 and $50 each and never paid the balanaces as we speak. The vast majority have yet to comply with what they voted for in our constitution. Dues payment is again abandoned by the entire membership. We haven’t collected a dime from any member since our constitution took effect and as the result, Diompillor is financially paralyzed even after our hard work of revitalization process. If nothing is done by the membership to improve on these critical issues, Diompillor is heading to where we came from. And because of this situation, the leadership continued to laterally beg the members for personal contributions whenever there is a death or other hardship in the community that required our involvement. The few that always contributed are also getting very wary of the burden they carry for the rest of us. These issues are draining the interest of the few while the vast majority sits on the fence and watch.

VIII. September 2005 Annual Convention:
We planed on having the Mothers’ Day Celebration for all our women/mothers in Diompillor. Our projection didn’t work out due to many deaths and the contributions our members who always contributed underwent. And because we don’t have money in our treasury to undertake such a project, we had to chancel that program. Now, according to our constitution, we are to have our annual convention in September where all the Kissi People will meet, review our status, programs, the suffering of our people back home, and develop ideas to resolve those issues climax with our fundraising program. The administration will be setting up a committee to plan this program and we are appealing to all of you to get involve for its success. One of the reasons our Inauguration program in Philadelphia failed was that, many people that we taught would help let us down. People had to leave from different states to do some basic things of a program. We are appealing to everyone to be a part of our endeavors in Diompillor.

IX. Recommendations and Appeal By The Administration:
Ladies and gentlemen, now that you see or read the happenings in our organization, we want to submit to you the following recommendations that will safe our organization from sinking back into a dormancy stage again:

A. That those who haven’t officially registered under the new provision of our constitution should honor what the registration provided.
B. That we all begin to immediately pay our pending and current dues as provided by our constitution.
C. That we all should begin to contribute toward the deaths and other difficulties in our organization and not leaving the responsibility on the few as it has always been in the history of Diompillor
D. That we may disagree with each other but we should not disappear from the organization because your way wasn’t done. Many of our members always say what they want at the time they want, but as soon others offer their point of view, they are ready to leave the group with aggravation. I feel that is having a thin-skin. In a group, if your way is not done does not mean your points are not valuable.
E. We should desist from undermining each other and focus on the challenges and suffering of our people and how we can be of help.

I want to thank you for taking your valuable time to read this document. I am calling on the local chapter leaders to make hard copies of this document and distribute it to those who do not have the Internet facility as yet. One day, we all will on the information super highway.

Thank you and May God bless Diompillor

By: Daniel Solee

Before I commence writing about the legacy of Chief Tamba Taylor, please allow me to give a brief synopsis of the Kissi Chiefdom for the benefit of our brothers and sisters. Before 1935 the Kissi tribe in Liberia had three chiefdoms and seven clans. Every Chiefdom had a Paramount Chief and Clan Chiefs. Tengia Chiefdom had Paramount Chief Fayia Koulekulay of Foya Toe. His Clan Chiefs were Varney Sodu (Isaac Manjoe’s grandfather) and Korkor Kornusu. Rankorlee Clan had our grandfather Ma Ndegbor of Foya Kama as Paramount Chief. His Clan Chiefs were Halibah Nyougbedu and old man Persia of Sadu Persia. In Waum Chiefdom, we had Paramount Chief Nyuma Sellu Kandakai. His Clan Chiefs were Chief Quermolu of Boliloe (grand father of our brother Alex Quermulu of Connecticut) and Chief Bombo Nyemgbemei.

In 1936, Commissioner Joseph Reeves of Kolahun District dismissed Paramount Chief Sellu Kandakai of Waum Chiefdom and replaced him with Clan Chief Persia of Sadu Persia. Tengbeh Wollie became Clan Chief during that period. When Chief Persia died, Chief Quemorlu of Boliloe as Paramount Chief replaced him. By that time, Ma Ndegbor was sent in exiled to Grand Gedeh County as punishment for being a stubborn Chief. For fear of having many powerful chiefs in one tribe, Commissioner Joseph Reeves decided to abolish all the three chiefdoms and have one Kissi Chiefdom. Consequently, the former three chiefdoms, Rankorlee, Tengia and Waum became clans and Chief Quermorlu, commonly known, as Chief Dugoe Boliloe became the first paramount chief of the three chiefdoms. His three-clan chiefs were Chief Kangbah of Kpormbu, Chief Tengbeh Wollie of Porluma and Chief Korkor of Foya Tengia.

By this time, Tamba Taylor had just returned from Kakata were he was an apprentice tailor. He came and settled in Kolahun, which was the headquarters of both the Kissi and Gbandi chiefdoms. Commissioner Joseph Reeves then found interest in young Tamba Tailor. They became close friends. Tamba Tailor began sewing clothes for Commissioner Joseph Reeves. His relationship with Commissioner Joseph Reeves led Tamba Tailor to politics. He began to attend several political meetings with the Kissi Chiefs that came to Kolahun. This was the beginning of Tamba Tailor’s legacy that would last more than six decades.

Who is Tamba Taylor? How did he acclaim national attention but yet hated at home? How did he use his charisma to win the attention and respect of almost every president of Liberia that lived during his tenure as Paramount Chief? People have left from many parts of Liberia and have gone to the Kissi Chiefdom just to see this outstanding leader. Tamba Taylor has become an icon in the Kissi Chiefdom. How did he formulate his principles? How did he weaken some of his opponents and critics? These are some of the issues I will attempt to deal with as I explore the legacy of Chief Tamba Tailor.

Tamba Tailor was born in a remote village in Waum Clan, Kissi Chiefdom called Meeleema. During his early childhood, he went to seek a profession around Firestone like many others. He settled in Kakata and became an apprentice tailor. After few years in Kakata, he decided to return home and complete his profession in Kolahun. From his youthful days, Tamba Tailor has been ruled by fear of failure. As an apprentice tailor he had to demonstrate all his abilities in the tailoring profession. He had to compete with other apprentice tailors. He later became one of the best in Kolahun and began to impress on all the District Commissioners and government officials that ruled and visited Kolahun District, Western Province. In those days, all the Districts and Provinces were ruled by selected Americo-Liberians from Monrovia. Local decisions were centralized in Monrovia. Eventually, Tamba Tailor’s prominence began to expand. Most of the gowns worn and decorated on foreign dignitaries in Monrovia were made in Kolahun and taken to Monrovia.

Tamba Taylor’s real name is Tamba Lamin. However, in the Kissi Chiefdom, we are found of naming people by their profession. Consequently, you will find names like, Saah Carpenter, Tamba Masoner, Fallah Firestone, etc. Therefore the name Tamba Lamin became associated with Tamba Tailor. His children later changed the spelling from Tailor to Taylor in order to make it look and sound more western. Tamba Taylor therefore has no relationship to President Charles Taylor of Liberia.


Around 1939, Tamba Taylor had cemented his relationship with Commissioner Joseph Reeves of Kolahun District. He had become his tailor and right hand man. Every official trip that Commissioner Joseph Reeves made to the Kissi Chiefdom, he would carry Tamba Taylor with him. In mid 1939, Tamba Taylor being young, aggressive and energetic convinced Commissioner Joseph Reeves to partition Rankorlee Clan and make him Clan Chief. Among the three clans, Rankorlee was the largest clan. Tamba Taylor’s uncles Blackie Howard and Alfred Davies (father of Janet Davies of Atlantic City), having had some form of education in those days, assisted Tamba Taylor in convincing Commissioner Reeves to partition Rankorlee Clan. The Commissioner been friendly with Tamba Taylor bought the idea and divided Rankorlee Clan into Upper and Lower Rankorlee. Tamba Taylor then became Clan Chief of Upper Rankorlee in 1939 and Chief Sankilah Pongay who had taken over from his brother Chief Kangbah remained as Clan Chief of Lower Rankorlee.

When Chief Quermorlu of Boliloe also known as Chief Dugoe died on August 24, 1954, Chief Tengbeh Wollie of Porluma, being the oldest and wisest became Acting Paramount Chief of the Kissi Chiefdom. Before the end of 1954, an election was held to replace the late Chief Dugoe of Boliloe. It became apparent that Tengbeh Wollie being the most senior Clan Chief would have replaced Chief Dugoe. Tamba Taylor had now become a very charismatic, abrasive and astute politician. He decided to compete against Tengbeh Wollie. However, he knew his chances of winning Tengbeh Wollie were very slim. Tamba Taylor convinced Chief Sakillah Pongay of Kpormbu that if he supported him and he won the election, he would unite the two Rankorlee Clans and have Chief Pongay as supreme ruler of the entire Rankorlee Clan. Already, there was some political feud between the House of Porluma and the House of Kpormbu when both Chief Kpangbah and Chief Kandakai were living. Chief Pongay supported Clan Chief Tamba Taylor. When the first elections were held in Boliloe, Clan Chief Tamba Taylor was declared the winner. Tengbeh Wollie protested the election results. Another election was held in Kolahun in March 1955 and Tamba Taylor was again declared the winner. In 1959, Tengbeh Wollie died and Alfred Davies became Clan Chief of Waum Clan.

Having being raised by fear of failure as an apprentice tailor, Tamba Taylor began to operate best from his emotions, rather than by his intellect. As a young leader, amidst growing opposition, he began to perceive evil where others saw only opposition. With potential political opponents such as Tengbeh Wollie, Sackio of Kornduma, Gbollie Gbenguisua, Kpamgba Tamba Kelema, Saah Tengbeh, Saysay Bangbeor etc., Tamba Taylor lost all sense of proportion.

Also, in his attempt to appease the powers in Monrovia, Tamba Taylor encountered growing opposition from the young educated elite in Monrovia led by Philip Saa Tali. Kissi men were forcibly recruited to work on the late President Tolbert’s Belefani farm for free. As one group left the farm, another group was recruited by force to work on the farm. There was force taxation in the Kissi Chiefdom. Rice was collected from the Kissi people by force and taken to Tolbert’s farm. Land was taken by force and sold. An example is the land of Somboloe sold to Fofana. All these irregularities under Tamba Taylor’s chieftancy led Philip Tali and a group of men to take the government of Liberia to task charging “Force Labor, Indirect Taxation and Indirect Slavery.” Philip Tali and his group of young men including the late Richard Daa, Daniel Nyuma of Rhode Island, etc. recruited their own renounced Kissi man and son of the late Paramount Sellu Kandakai, Counselor James Morkuwah Kandakai as their legal representative. Counselor Morkuwah Kandakai, being a product of Louis Arthur Grimes School of Law with Suma cum Laude, made the case very sensational. President Tubman out of embarrassment incarcerated Philip Tali, the late Richard Daa and few prominent Kissi people for fermenting and inciting hostilities in the Kissi Chiefdom. Counselor Kandakai became more aggressive and furious. The case became dramatic and drew national and international attention. An Executive Council was convened in Voinjama, Lofa County in late 1963. Tamba Taylor testified having any knowledge of the force recruitment of Kissi men to work on Tolbert’s farm. Tengbeh Wollie and many others testified against him. However, everyone knew that there was a strong bound of friendship and relationship between President Tolbert and Tamba Taylor. The situation became politically unsuitable and absolutely embarrassing for Tamba Taylor and President Tolbert. To avoid social strife and national embarrassment in the Kissi Chiefdom, the government of Liberia had to release Philip Tali and his group and also immediately stop the force recruitment of Kissi people for work on Tolbert’s farm. Consequently, all the force taxation and selling of land was immediately stopped.

As time progressed, however, Tamba Taylor seemed haunted by a sense of quilt that his personal vendetta against his political opponents and his deep desire to satisfy the powers in Monrovia was costing him the chieftancy and his legacy. He began to feel within himself that his basic premise to become a legend within the Kissi Chiefdom was fading. He was loosing respect daily. Therefore, he had to stop being a challenger and become an administrator. He had to shed his charisma as a redeemer of the Kissi people and become a constitutional leader with bureaucratic principles. He had to use every mechanism to gain control, power and respect.

Tamba Taylor employed other administrative techniques in the Kissi Chiefdom. Every time he left the Chiefdom for Monrovia on official business, he would leave one of his potential challengers or opponent as Acting Paramount Chief. What was however ironic is that most of those potential political opponents and critics he left acting in Shelloe followed one of his wives. Tamba Taylor was aware of these actions but never accused them. Again, whether this was a cunning political scheme employed to weaken his enemies, is still questionable and debatable. But in social life, when you love to someone’s wife, your power, strength and ego begins to diminish when you are in his presence. Consequently, out of shame and embarrassment for their unethical behaviors most of them began to succumb to Tamba Taylor.

With respect to those that did not get involved in the unethical behavior of following his wives, Chief Tamba Taylor, also known as the” Rock of Shelloe, (Powoe O’Shelloe) would hail them to high propensity and make them forget that they are political opponents. Tamba Taylor would give those local political opponents enormous powers and high esteem in the chiefdom. He will make them feel that they will be heirs to the chieftancy when he leaves. Some of them will become arrogant, pompous and feel untouchable within the Kissi chiefdom. At times he will even send them to represent him at political functions in Kolahun, Voinjama and Monrovia. They will consider themselves as Tamba Taylor’s most favorite and then he will drop them on thin ice and pick another strong elder. Some would be so devastated that they will just collapse and fade out of history.

Tamba Taylor therefore never fought his political enemies physically. He never tortured any of them. He never jailed any of them. But he used his intellect and wisdom to either win them over or crippled their political fame. He was a very ingenuous and gifted politician.

As mentioned earlier, legends can paralyze as well as inspire. The part of the legend that is worth remembering about Paramount Chief Tamba Taylor is, “not what he might have done in the past, but his remarkable and outstanding achievements later in life.” To better understand this charismatic man who became the wisest tribal leader in Liberia and the first indigenous tribal chief to become President of Liberia, let me paraphrase for you and excerpt from the book, “In Love With Night: The American Romance With Robert F. Kennedy,” by Ronald Steel.

“In politics, as in life, love is not always enough. And love as we know, is often blind. That is why we need to look at Tamba Taylor not as an idol or a mythical figure but as a man who, like everyone else, was not always clear in purpose and pure in thought. If we view Tamba Taylor this way we have a better chance of understanding him and what it is that we sought and continue to seek, in him.”

When we recall the long and distinguish career of Honorable Paramount Chief Tamba Taylor, we are reminded of the best attributes of a public servant. A great person’s biography is marked by consistency, integrity and lasting achievements. Such was the life and career of Tamba Taylor. Tamba Taylor held his principles close to his heart where he held his love of his country. He has lived his public and private life according to those principles. Tamba Taylor will always rush to defend his ground, whether or not the ground he defended was in fashion at that time.

We are all aware that changes in political attitudes and structures that occur regularly in any nation’s history often weaken the resolve of ordinary leaders. But extraordinary leaders like Tamba Taylor never allow the vagaries of public opinion impair his vision or weaken his heart. When Tubman died, Tamba Taylor was not weakened. When his best friend Tolbert died, Tamba Taylor was not weakened. And when President Doe died, he even became stronger. Therefore, whether or not the times favored him, Tamba Taylor always believed in what he was doing. He never tailored his message or trim his cause in deference to the prevailing sentiments about the style and purpose of politics. He always made the times come to him like in the days of Tubman, Tolbert, Samuel Doe and then Charles Taylor.

It is nearly impossible to list all his accomplishments in a public career that was for over five decades. Nor can the most detail list adequately explain the extraordinary national and international importance of Tamba Taylor’s public service. But even a simple glance at Tamba Taylor’s achievements can attest to his interest and the strength of his devotion to the Liberian people.

It is true that Tamba Taylor was a bit selfish. But that is true of almost every leader in Africa. Tamba Taylor allowed two big churches to be built side by side in Shelloe where there was no population to accommodate the churches. He refused for those churches to be built in the Foya Airfield were the population was growing. But he is not the only leader to want things in his hometown. President Houpheit Bongny built the biggest cathedral in the world in his hometown of Yamoussoukro instead of Abidjan. President Doe build a mansion in Tucson instead of Zwedru. President Tubman stopped the road pavement on his farm in Totota. The list can go on and on. But what is important and significant about Chief Tamba Taylor is that he was not a corrupt leader. During all his decades as Paramount Chief of the Kissi Chiefdom, he never build for himself any mansion or house. As leader of the Kissi people, Tamba Taylor later ensured that the chiefdom was connected by farm to market roads. He ensured that public schools were built in the Kissi Chiefdom. He encouraged agriculture. He fought for the amalgamation of villages. And above all he worked hard along with the Kissi people to make the Kissi Chiefdom a District.

Therefore, no matter the prevailing political sensibilities, no matter the personal risk to his career, no political gain was so important to Tamba Taylor than for him to help bring peace and stability to Liberia during these war years. Tamba Taylor preached peace in all its manifestations during the Liberian crisis; because he saw peace as the only hope for reconciliation and stability in Liberia. He traveled internationally and discussed the fate of Liberia with world leaders. The credit for all these efforts is a lasting attribution to the Kissi people and to Foya District.

Paramount chiefs will succeed Tamba Tailor in the Kissi Chiefdom, but for many years, this notable and charismatic leader will be in the memories of the Kissi people. And if all the histories of the Kissi paramount chiefs will ever be written without error and omission, the Chieftancy of Tamba Taylor will always remain a chapter unto himself.

It is believed that Chief Tamba Taylor lived for almost one hundred years. Out of those one hundred years of his life, more than sixty years were used leading the Kissi Chiefdom both as Clan Chief and Paramount Chief. He had many children serving in all works of life in Liberia and the United States. Notable among his children is Dr. Elijah Taylor who served the Liberian government with untarnished reputation both as a diplomat, Director General of the General Services Agency (GSA), Minister of Planning and Economic Affairs, board member of several government entities and corporations in Liberia.

About the author: Daniel Solee is a community activist and leader. He founder of the Liberia Project Ministry. Member of Diompillor America, Inc. At-Large Board, Federation of Lofa Associations in the Americas, Member of the Commission for Multicultural Ministries of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. My personal thanks to Pastor Faya Kabakole, Hon. Philip Tali, Pastor Bimba and many others for their assistance with the historical contents of this article. Please note that the names Tailor and Taylor are interchangeably used in this article to depict the true nature of this great man. It is not meant to humiliate him.