By Jefferson Tamba Koijie, Former Lord Mayor of Monrovia, Liberia
Why the lies they threw at my name, they thought the rumors would break me up; they thought the stories would weaken my spirit. They believed that if they talked long enough, loud enough, convincingly enough, the world would turn against me. But here I am, still standing, still moving, and that is what disturbs them the most.
Lies are supposed to destroy; false accusations are supposed to isolate, reputations are meant to stay damaged permanently, yet somehow none of it worked on me. They spoke with confidence but not with truth, they gathered allies but not integrity. They told their version of the story so often that even they started believing it.
The truth has a strange power, it does not need defending, it does not rush, it does not argue, truth waits. While they were busy watching mouths and whispering, they were silently expecting me to react, to fight publicly, to explain myself, to beg people to understand my side. But instead I chose progress over gossip, growth over noise, results over revenge, and that decision alone changed everything. While they were replaying the past, I was creating a future that no lie could touch.
They do not understand how I kept going when my name was dragged through places it never deserved to be. They do not understand how I smiled when I was misunderstood. They do not understand how I stayed focused when people were waiting for me to fall. What they fail to realize is this, I was not winning because the lies missed me, I was winning despite the opposition. Every attempt to bury me only confirmed one thing, they underestimated what I was made of.
Their stamina expires, but purpose never expires. That is why pressure exposed them and resistance elevated me. They are mad because they cannot figure out why I am still winning after all the dirty lies they threw at my name.
My fellow Liberians, this is my story as Jefferson T. Koijee, a victim of malicious and vicious lies and propaganda, both nationally and internationally. The Boakai and Koung machinery and their surrogates spent thousands of dollars lobbying to have me sanctioned, hoping they could succeed in destroying me, hoping my name would collapse under manufactured narratives.
Unfortunately for them, God alone is the author and finisher of my destiny. Yesterday it was individuals who were sanctioned, today under the Boakai and Koung mission the entire country carries the weight of sanctions. They thought the rumors would break me, they thought the stories would weaken my spirit, they believed noise could replace truth. But here I stand, still moving forward, still building, still focused. I did not argue with lies, I outgrew them.
I did not chase revenge, I chased results. I did not fight shadows, I built substance. And that is the quiet power they cannot manipulate, discipline, patience, and destiny that does not need permission to manifest.
About the author
Jefferson Tamba Koijie is a social justice and political activist, serving in senior positions in the Congress for Democratic Change (CDC). He was the Lord Mayor of Monrovia, Liberia. Jefferson is political advocate whose resolve span from his young age standing for what he believes in.
