17 Mins Read
ADNEWS-Monrovia, Liberia: Today September 21 is the Feast of St. Matthew, Apostle and Evangelist. On St. Matthew’s Day, September 21st, Our Fathers in Faith advise us to read the Gospel of St. Matthew, or some chapters of the Gospel of St. Matthew, and to meditate on this Gospel.
By Bishop Nimely Jarbokly Donyen, DD
CHEERFUL GIVERS CATHEDRAL INDEPENDENT CATHOLIC CHURCH OF LIBERIA
Our Dear Apostle and Evangelist St. Matthew, in your writings, you tell us an incident at Caesarea Philippi when our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ said to one of his disciples, “You are Peter, and on this rock I will build my Church and the gates of Hades will not overcome it,” (Matthew 16:18). St. Matthew, Our Dear Apostle and Evangelist, the Church in Liberia is losing grounds too fast.
In the Republic of Liberia, even though the President, the Vice President, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, the President Pro Tempore of the Senate, etc., are Christians, respect for Christians is declining, while respect for nonChristians is the order of the day.
Though a Christian is President of Liberia, today, the Government of Liberia respects Islam more than it respects Christianity.
For example, a few weeks ago, a Moslem lady and a Liberian police officer were involved in an unagreeable interaction. The Government of the Republic of Liberia, headed by a Christian, apologized, not only to the Moslem lady, but to the Islamic Community of Liberia. In addition to this apology, because the Moslem lady’s ancestry is traceable to Guinea, the Government of the Republic of Liberia made representation to the Government of Guinea because of what went on between the police man and the Moslem lady.
A few months ago, a bishop, dressed in his clerical attire, and was identifiable, was picked up by the Liberia National Police at his church on the Lord’s Day (a Sunday), and taken to a police station and thrown into a Police cell. Can the Liberia National Police do this to an Iman in Liberia? No! The Liberia National Police is unable to arrest an Iman at a mosque in Liberia. The Liberia National Police is unable to pick up a Moslem Iman at a mosque in Liberia and throw him into a police cell.
Bishop Insulted
The Managing Director of the Liberia Water & Sewer Corporation Mohammed Ali insulted a bishop on September 1, 2025, not because the bishop did anything wrong, but because the bishop appealed to him and reminded him of the appeal. The bishop complained to the President of Liberia, but it is like nothing happened. Below is the story.
On September 1, 2025 the Managing Director of Water & Sewer, Mohammed Ali, insulted me, Bishop Nimely Jarbokly Donyen, because I appealed to him to open the valve so that pipe borne water will flow to my house and my school, and I also appealed to him to stop selling water to the poor people L$10.00 for one container of water.
My Role In The Community Water
On December 1, 2016, the Liberia Water & Sewer Corporation, sent me a US$18,712.75 bill to pay for the construction of a 4-inch pipe waterline to Red Hill Community, Johnsonville Township, which used to be called City View, because when we are on this hill, we can look at Monrovia.
On December 19, 2016 I gave US$12,000.00 to Water & Sewer for the materials to construct the waterline. Then I paid the young men of Red Hill Community to manually dig the waterline, and I also paid some of the young men of Red Hill Community to manually burst the iron rocks that were in the way of the waterline.
Finally, with praises going to God for the donor who gave me the money, in June 2017, pipe borne water began flowing in Red Hill Community. The inhabitants of Red Hill Community and parts adjacent began fetching water free of charge from the 8-faucets kiosh that I built in my yard for the community.
End Of Free Water
The head of the Liberia Water & Sewer Corporation team that built the 4-inch pipe waterline told me that the people would get the water free for six months. After the sixth month, they have to pay for it. So he advised me to install a meter for my house and a meter for the kiosk. I paid the money to Water & Sewer, and the meters were installed by Water & Sewer.
Since I didn’t know how much I would pay monthly to Water & Sewer for the supply of water, and since I had just spent a huge sum for the construction of the waterline, I asked the people to pay L$5.00 per container of water. No one complained. Mainwhile, Water & Sewer began building two kiosks along the way to my premises for water-selling.
Because water was cheaper at my place, Water & Sewer installed a valve along the way, about 400 feet to my house, and blocked water from reaching my house and my school. I was forced to go to buy containers of water at the kiosks built by Water & Sewer in Red Hill Community, which were connected to my 4-inch pipe waterline.
I came to Monrovia and notified Water & Sewer Officials that about 400 feet to my premises, the water was wasting, but water was not reaching my house and my school. Water & Sewer told me that the water-pressure was low that is why water was not reaching my premises.
Since I paid for the construction of the waterline, I asked Water & Sewer to disconnect those that they connected to my 4-inch pipe waterline. Water & Sewer told me that she could not do it. Rather, I should go to buy water at any of the kiosks built by Water & Sewer. All this went on 8 years ago – 2018.
Renewal Of Talk With Water & Sewer
In 2025, when CRS and Latter Days Saints Church built water towers at Red Hill Community, and the largest tower is at the topmost point of Red Hill Community, and my house and my school are about 400 feet away from the largest tower, and I was paying L$10.00 per container of water at the tower, I wrote to the new Managing Director of Water & Sewer and appealed to him to please reopen the valve so that water would flow to my school and my house. In the letter, I also appealed to the Managing Director to sell the water L$5.00 for 2 containers of water.
Because I did not get a response from the Managing Director of Water & Sewer, on September 1, 2025, two weeks after I wrote to him, I sent a letter of reminder to the Managing Director of Water & Sewer Mohammed Ali.
The next day, September 2, 2025 I received a letter from Water & Sewer signed by the Managing Director Mohammed Ali, insulting me for asking him to please reopen the valve so that water can flow to my school and my house; and for appealing to him to sell the water L$5.00 for 2 containers of water. The letters are attached.
Since the Managing Director of Water & Sewer serves at the pleasure of the President of the Republic of Liberia, on September 4, 2025 I wrote to the President of the Republic of Liberia, His Excellency Joseph Nyumah Boikai, and complained the Managing Director of Water & Sewer Mohammed Ali to him for insulting me because I appealed to him to let water flow to my house so that I can give water to the people at a very low and affordable fee, and that Water & Sewer should sell the water L$5.00 for two containers of water. Is my letter of complaint to the President thrashed or buried in a file?
Citizens of the Republic of Liberia, in and out of Liberia, it will be good for us to have a Liberia in which Liberians will receive services from the Government of Liberia when citizens pay for these services and the Government of Liberia receives the money.
The Government of Liberia should not take money from a Liberian and refuse to render the services to the Liberian.
Liberian Government Officials should not insult Liberian Citizens who make appeals to them.
Water & Sewer has never said that I did not pay for the 4-inch pipe waterline that is in Red Hill Community. I paid for the 4-inch pipe waterline that is at Red Hill Community.
Beneficiaries
The Baptist Church and the Baptist School along the way to my premises are connected to this 4-inch pipe waterline, and so there is pipe borne water at the Baptist Church and the Baptist School.
The Compound of the former Lutheran Bishop of Liberia is connected to my 4-inch pipe waterline.
The Mosque at Red Hill Community has water. I paid for the pipe that connects the Mosque to my 4-inch pipe waterline. The distance from the Mosque to my house is about 500 feet. The mosque is on top of the hill. My house and school are below the hill.
Though I paid for the 4-inch pipe waterline, to which the towers built by CRS and Latter Days Saints Church are connected, Water & Sewer blocked water from flowing to my house, my school and the toilets at my church, because the water corporation considers me a hindrance to their decision to sell a container of water for L$10.00.
Appeal To All
I wish to appeal to all who are able to get to the President of Liberia to let him know that I wrote the letter of complaint that is attached to this article. If my letter of complaint was thrashed, a copy is attached.
I also wish to appeal to all who can get to the President Joseph Nyumah Boikai to let him know that Christianity is being overlooked in Liberia. What is happening to me cannot happen to a Moslem Iman in Liberia.
I wish the President does not allow this complaint to transform into a mosquito. Though small, a mosquito has power to irritate the greatest of men by causing sleeplessness.
To all of you my fellow Christians who are shocked by the insults of the Managing Director of Water & Sewer Mohammed Ali, and the silence of the Presidency, continue to exercise patience.
We believe in the risen Lord. Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ was buried. But he did not remain buried. He rose. So no human being can bury the concerns of Christians perpetually. If any people have buried our complaint, let’s believe that the complaint will not remain buried. It will rise. It will resurrect.
The selling of water to the poor people L$10.00 per container of water by Water & Sewer is a scandal.
In 2012, Water & Sewer said that she had no money to extend pipe borne water services to Red Hill, City View Community, Johnsonville.
In 2016, God worked through an American humanitarian, and equipped me financially to pay Water & Sewer to bring pipe borne water to Red Hill Community, Johnsonville.
I am not asking the community to pay me back my money. God gave me the money to do the work. I thank God for giving me the graces to do what had to be done. Why should Water & Sewer sell water to the poor Citizens of Liberia in this hilly and rocky area L$10.00 per container of water? Why should Water & Sewer continue to block water supply to my premises?
God’s Love For Red Hill Community
Eight years after God worked through his kind-hearted servant and he gave me the money to pay for the construction of the 4-inch pipe waterline to bring pipe borne water to Red Hill Community, in 2025 CRS and Latter Days Saints Church built 3 water towers in Red Hill Community, Johnsonville Township.
There is no information anywhere that CRS and Latter Days Saints Church are asking the People of Red Hill Community to pay back their money.
What is the justification for Water & Sewer to sell water to the beneficiaries of God’s kindness L$10.00 per container of water? Why should Water & Sewer continue to block those who want to give water to the People of Red Hill Community almost free?
The 4-inch pipe waterline and the towers are free gifts from God to the People who were suffering and could not get water. Why should Water & Sewer only intervention be to sell water L$10.00 per container, when a penny for the construction of the waterline and the towers did not come from Water & Sewer?
Free Water Is Possible
It is possible to supply free water. It happened in Libya, and briefly in other African countries. For example, in 2020, during the COVID-19 Pandemic, the Governments of our West African states of Ghana and Guinea gave free water to their citizens. There is no record that the Government of Liberia gave something to the People of Liberia during the COVID-19 Crisis. What Water & Sewer did was to block water supply to a school, a house and a church.
Condition Of People
I want everyone to know that more than 99 % of the People of the following communities in Johnsonville Township, Montserrado County are jobless, or casual laborers, or petite traders :
- Red Hill Community
- Rehab Community
- Gaflehn Town Community
- City View Community
- Christian Community
- Kpelleh Mansion Community
- Lower Red Hill
- Logan Town Community
- New Life Community
- Kpanwin Community
- New Israel Community
- Karnkarn Town Community
- Etc
The Government of Liberia will be highly appreciated if these Liberian Citizens enjoy free water supply.
If giving these Liberian Citizens free water is not possible, please instruct Water & Sewer to reopen the valve to my premises so that I will do what I can, with the grace of God.
Every community in Johnsonville Township was supposed to have pipe borne water by December 2020. By this time, most communities in Montserrado County should have had pipe borne water. People of goodwill were lined up to finance this project, but the halting of water supply to Cheerful Givers School weakened everyone and has limited us to talking about selling water by Water & Sewer at Red Hill Community, Johnsonville.
Finally, while Our Constitution says our country Liberia has no state religion, disrespect for the Church and Christianity is rising in Liberia. The insult of a Bishop by the Managing Director of Water & Sewer is a classic example.
Appeal To St. Matthew
Our Dear St. Matthew, Apostle and Evangelist, if the People of Israel were asked to recommend you for discipleship of the Messiah, they would not have recommended you. If the People of Israel were asked to approve your calling to be a disciple of Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, you would not have been approved. Meaning that the call to be a minister of the Gospel is divine and free of human approval. Please come to the aid of Ministers of the Gospel who are being disrespected and persecuted in Liberia.
Our Dear Apostle and Evangelist, St. Matthew, pray for us who God has called to be His Ministers. Remind all that the Declaration of Independence of the Republic of Liberia was signed by Christians, and only Christians alone were allowed by God to sign the Declaration of Independence of Liberia, Africa’s First and Oldest Negro Republic.
St. Matthew, Our Dear Apostle and Evangelist, please tell all that the decision for Liberia to be an Independent Sovereign Nation in Africa was made by Christians, and only Christians alone were allowed by God to make this decision.
Our Dear Apostle and Evangelist St. Matthew, through your intercession, may respect for Christianity in Liberia be reborn in the hearts of men and women in public offices in the Republic of Liberia. May true respect for Pastors, Bishops and Archbishops be visible again in public places in Liberia.
Our Dear St. Matthew, Apostle and Evangelist: Pray for all Christians and Christianity in Liberia.
All You Apostles and Saints of God: Pray for all Christians and Christianity in Liberia.
Holy Mary Mother of God: Pray for all Christians and Christianity in Liberia.
Happy St. Matthew’s Day To All Christians!
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