WHEN WILL HELP COME?

"Before Ellen left this country when Doe was chasing her, I cannot explain what I went through to help her leave, there were plenty things I passed through for the sake of the Johnson family, today, they cannot help me, when will they help me? When Ellen leaves power?"

“I live with Ellen, Carney, Jenny and other relatives of the Johnson family for 42 years. I protected their parents farm in Jaijua (sp) Bomi County, they sent me to Clayashland to take care of their farm and they brought me to Monrovia to mine their gate and take care of the house for all these years but today, I have no benefit and while they are in power, I don’t even have place to live, food to eat”, a sickly looking Bondor told FPA.

Lost rib bones to criminals

Bondor said for the sake of protecting the Johnson properties, he lost one of his rib bones to criminals which has toady added unto his sickness.

“Before Ellen left this country when Doe was chasing her, I cannot explain what I went through to help her leave, there were plenty things I passed through for the sake of the Johnson family, today, they cannot help me, when will they help me? When Ellen leaves power?  Bondor wondered.

Bondor narrated that upon the election of President Sirleaf he has been making efforts to meet the President and seek assistance but on many occasions, he has been promised assistance which is yet to be provided.

In a lengthy explanation, Bondor said he has been promised a parcel of land and a three bedroom house by Carney Johnson, the elderly brother to President Sirleaf but all the promises have failed.

At one point, Bondor said he was promised a three year rent and when he inquired whether after the three years his children will not be entitled to the house any longer, he was told that it will be a temporary home but yet still the rented place has not been identified.

Attempts to Seek pension benefits Foiled

Bondor further narrated that after making numerous promises, a son to President Sirleaf he only identified as Jeff took him to the Ministry of Lands, Mines and Energy and Agriculture where he previously worked to fake documents that will enable him get pension benefit from the Liberian government.  “Jeff put me in his car and took me to the Ministry of Lands, Mines and Energy to fix document for me to be getting government pension benefit but the ministry told him that I have not worked there for plenty years to be able to get pension benefit. He took me to the Civil Service Agency and told the people to put my name on the record for pension benefit and the people told him the same thing that I have not worked in government for many years, he took me to other places that I don’t know”, Bondor explained.

He indicated that after staying nearly a whole day with Jeff, he was given a bottle of perfume and US$5 and Jeff ordered one of his security guards to go and see where he (Bondor) lives.  Bondor told FPA that since that time, he continues to get assurances from the Johnson family that they will help improve his living condition but while his health is deteriorating daily, the help is farfetched.

Poor me, where Will I get benefit

“See how long I worked with these people, where can I get benefit, different people have come to where I live plenty times to see how bad I am living, telling me they will come back to help me, but when? When I die before this help will come? Bondor lamented.

According to Bondor, he sometimes ago visited the residence of the President where another person was sent to see where he lives and he was given US$150 accordingly provided by President Sirleaf through Presidential Press Secretary Cyrus Badio.

Sources close to the President confided in FPA that Bondor did not receive the actual amount provided by the President and the President is not aware of how much the oldman received but Bondor told FPA he is not blaming any close aide because he has met Janice Johnson, the elderly sister to President Sirleaf, Karnley and other senior members of the Johnson family who saw his current condition and promised to help.

Bondor said he is surprised that the Johnson family who once considered him a member of their family will treat him in such manner.

I need help before I die

Bondor said while he has been promised on numerous occasions to get assistance from the

Johnson family which he was once a member, he remains hopeful that they will improve his living condition.

“I hope they will still see reason to help me, I have nowhere to turn for help, some of my friends old like me, can today go to the social security to get pension money but for me, I have nowhere like that”, Bondor stated.

Adequately compensate, Executive Mansion says

The Executive Mansion reacting to Bondor’s statement Monday confirmed that Bondor worked with President’s Sirleaf brother, Carney and also worked with different members of the Johnson family assisting with gardening activities.

According to the statement, the Executive Mansion stated that Bondor like other employees was adequately compensated for his services to the family.

The Executive Mansion said Bondor has since retire and is today receiving pension benefits from Government of Liberia through the efforts of the Johnson family.

The statement furthered that President Sirleaf along with other members of her family has always kept in close contact with all of her former employees, sometimes providing financial and other assistance to help with their upkeep whenever she was in Liberia and during her days in exile.

Bondor, the Executive mansion stated has been among the leading beneficiaries of the President’s gesture.

“When it was established recently that he was experiencing some difficulties, the President invited him to her home and instructed her staff to locate his residence. The staff has located the oldman’s residence and had begun to make an evaluation on what it would take to either repair or relocate him to a more suitable location, while addressing other needs including health and food supplies”, the Executive Mansion statement indicated.

The office of President Sirleaf has come under spotlight over the past with allegations of staffers receiving monies and other assistances for onward translation to outsiders but at the end those targeted for benefits do not get to the actual assistance.  Some unknown individuals recently received huge amount of money allegedly on behalf of a journalist who they claimed wanted assistance from the President office to seek medical attention aboard but the money did not reach the so-called needy journalist.