The daughter of Former President Samuel Kanyon Doe – Veronica Mamie Doe writes…

How many of us have stayed silent about things that should have been exposed, protecting those who hurt us either because we were afraid, or did not know our rights, and as usual in my mother’s case, she always said, lets leave it to God.

On September 10th 1990, one day after our father Samuel Kanyon Doe died, my mother was grieving, exhausted and broken. She had watched it unfold on television. She had not slept and felt very alone in the house in a strange land, dazed and confused.

Then her security called her downstairs. These were not strangers. These were the men assigned to protect her and her children. Mr David Mator, her Head of Security. Mr Robert Barbiah, the children’s security. And Mr George Sherman, another security assigned to my mother. He was actually our favourite, but that day he became the spokesman for them.

They told her that because her husband had been overthrown, power had shifted.

My mother pleaded with Mr David Mator to intervene. He told her that just as Doe had been overthrown, he too had been overthrown, and he was now taking orders from Mr George Sherman.

Then they made their demand. Fifty thousand dollars. Or they would tie her and her children up and burn the house down with them inside. Let that sink in. The protectors had become the threat.

After delivering their demands, they left the house. But the fear did not leave with them. Mr George Sherman would return, canvassing the house, with ropes and kerosene gallon in his hand, shouting demands and abuse. We were so afraid we would not even turn on the lights at night.

That same evening, former Ambassador Mr Willie Givens came to the house with my father’s portrait from the Embassy, returning it to my mother. She quietly explained to him what had transpired that day. He listened, then said dryly, sell your Mercedes and pay them, I can get you a buyer. Then he flung my father’s Presidential portrait on the ground with a loud thud.

In fear, she did exactly that. She sold her Mercedes. She emptied her account. She paid them. And she was warned never to call the police, so she did not.

We did not report it. We did not speak about it. We carried it in silence.

And then life did something unexpected. A few years later, we and our mother travelled and returned through London’s Heathrow airport. The man mopping the floor stopped and approached her. It was the same Mr George Sherman. He looked at her and said, Oma how are you, are you alright?

And my mother looked back at him with calm strength and said, yes, I am still living. Tell the other security that I, Nancy B. Doe is still living. No fear. No anger. Just survival and truth.

And the truth is this. Because of their threats and the fear they created, we quickly left the UK. We put our home on the market and went to France, where we stayed for just over a year out of school before seeking asylum in the United States. Whilst our terrorisers stayed in the UK and got their asylum and permanent status.

THIS IS MY FIRST TIME SHARING THIS OUTSIDE MY FAMILY.

Let me ask you this. Have you ever stayed silent to survive and protected those who hurt you?

Would you have left it with God, like our mother did?

Silence can protect you. But truth sets you free.