Monrovia, Liberia — A student of Grand Gedeh University, Theophilus Youdy Henson, has publicly challenged recent criticisms surrounding Vice President Jeremiah Kpan Koung’s donation to Grand Kru County ahead of the Nimba versus Grand Kru National County Sports Meet final, arguing that the controversy reflects a deeper misunderstanding of leadership, patriotism, and the true purpose of the County Meet.
In a strongly worded response to commentary by Wantoe Teah Wantoe, Henson expressed concern not merely with the questions raised about the Vice President’s action, but with what he described as the framing of those questions. According to Henson, the critique promotes division, fuels suspicion, and retreats into narrow county and ethnic thinking that undermines national cohesion.
Henson argued that reducing the National County Sports Meet to a battleground of county loyalty strips the event of its founding purpose. He described the County Meet as one of Liberia’s most unifying national platforms—designed to heal divisions, encourage mutual respect, and reinforce a shared Liberian identity, rather than deepen rivalries.
“The Vice President is not only a son of Nimba,” Henson emphasized. “He is a national leader who has sworn an oath to serve all Liberians.” From this perspective, expecting the Vice President to limit his actions strictly along county lines, particularly during a national event symbolizing unity, reflects a fundamental misreading of leadership and patriotism.
Henson rejected the notion that the County Meet should be treated as a political or symbolic war between counties. Instead, he characterized it as a rare space where Liberians compete in sport but celebrate collectively as one people. Within that context, he argued, the Vice President’s gesture toward Grand Kru County should be seen not as betrayal, but as a deliberate affirmation that national unity must sometimes take precedence over local expectations.
He warned that narratives criticizing national leaders for refusing to play into county rivalries risk reviving identity-based politics that have historically divided Liberia. According to Henson, such thinking perpetuates an “us versus them” mindset that the country can ill afford, given its painful past.
“True patriotism is not defined by exclusion,” Henson wrote. “It is defined by inclusion.” He maintained that the Vice President’s action sent a clear message that unity can coexist with competition, and that leadership requires the courage to act responsibly even when emotions and public pressure run high.
Addressing concerns from Nimba County, Henson argued that the county’s pride and political maturity should not be so fragile as to be threatened by a gesture of goodwill toward another county. On the contrary, he suggested that Nimba’s long history of political engagement and sacrifice should position it as a leading advocate for national unity rather than a source of resentment.
He concluded by cautioning against any attempt to redefine the County Meet as a test of ethnic or county loyalty, describing such narratives as a dangerous regression rather than progress. In his view, the County Meet should remain a platform for healing old wounds, not reopening them.
Henson ended his commentary by commending the Vice President for choosing unity over popularity and national interest over parochial pressure. He argued that Liberia’s history ultimately favors leaders who stand for cohesion and reconciliation, especially when such positions invite criticism.
“History,” he noted, “does not remember those who shout the loudest for division. It remembers those who stood firm for unity when it was unpopular.”
By Theophilus Youdy Henson
Student, Grand Gedeh University
