Monrovia — The Restoration Baptist Ministries International has warned against using Liberia’s ongoing fight against illicit drugs as a political weapon, while pledging continued pastoral care for its prominent member, former Vice President Jewel Howard-Taylor, who is facing multiple criminal allegations arising from an ongoing narcotics investigation.
By Obediah Johnson
Bishop Joseph Gardea Johnson, head of the church, said Liberia cannot win the war against drug trafficking and abuse if its security institutions are compromised or if the law is selectively enforced.
He stressed that no one should be shielded from accountability in the ongoing fight against illicit drugs.
“No one should be above accountability. No one should be allowed to use position, influence, relationships, wealth, political connections, religious standing, or family ties as a shield against justice,” Bishop Johnson said in a statement issued in Monrovia on Thursday, August 20.
He said Liberia must be prepared to confront the drug problem wherever it exists and whoever may be involved if the country is serious about defeating illicit drugs.
“We cannot condemn drug abuse when it involves our opponents and remain silent when it involves people within our own circles. That would make our fight hypocritical and undermine the very principles we claim to defend,” he said.
Bishop Johnson emphasized that the campaign against illicit drugs must never become a political weapon or be selectively enforced.
He further cautioned that the fight must not be led, manipulated or compromised by institutions, officials or security authorities whose impartiality, integrity or motives are legitimately questioned.
According to him, the campaign must be grounded in truth, justice, fairness, due process and accountability, rather than political affiliation, personal vendettas, favoritism, intimidation or selective prosecution.
DO NOT THWART COCAINE PROBE
The church also warned against any attempt to interfere with or derail the ongoing cocaine investigation.
“Let us be clear: it is too late now for anyone to try to change the narrative. We know a lot. We have seen a lot. We have listened to a lot. We have heard from people on different sides, and we now understand far more than some may think,” Bishop Johnson said.
The church’s position comes amid the arrest and charging of former Vice President Howard-Taylor, who is a member of the Restoration Baptist Ministries International.
Taylor was arrested by joint security authorities and subsequently charged in connection with an alleged transnational narcotics network.
She faces allegations including unlicensed importation of controlled substances, sale, distribution and transportation of controlled substances, drug trafficking, criminal solicitation, criminal facilitation, criminal conspiracy and money laundering.
Authorities arrested the former Vice President at Roberts International Airport as she was preparing to leave Liberia. She subsequently spent a night in custody at the headquarters of the Liberia National Police in Monrovia.
However, the former Vice President has not yet been formally indicted by the government.
The allegations against Taylor stem from an ongoing investigation into an alleged international drug-trafficking network operating in Liberia and beyond.
The investigation follows Liberia’s seizure of nearly four tonnes of cocaine in separate operations this year, with the consignments reportedly valued at approximately US$337 million.
CHURCH SAYS DRUG FIGHT IS ‘NON-NEGOTIABLE’
Despite Taylor’s arrest and the charges against her, the Restoration Baptist Ministries said its opposition to illicit drugs remains firm.
“This is not a position we have recently adopted, nor is it one we take selectively,” the church said, pointing to its establishment and operation of a free rehabilitation center for young people struggling with drug abuse.
The church also cited its participation in anti-drug protests and its continued advocacy against the impact of illicit drugs on individuals, families, churches and communities.
It said its campaign against illicit drugs would remain “strong, unwavering, uncompromising, and non-negotiable,” regardless of who is implicated.
The church further maintained that facts, circumstances and experiences shared with it cannot simply be erased, rewritten or reshaped to fit another narrative.
“Our position is simple: protect the vulnerable, rehabilitate those who can be restored, hold offenders accountable, and confront the drug crisis without fear or favor,” the church said.
It called for an end to “sacred cows,” double standards and selective justice in the country’s fight against drug trafficking.
BISHOP SAYS HE RECEIVED THREATS
Bishop Johnson also disclosed that he received what he described as a threatening message from an unidentified individual on Wednesday night.
He said the threat was accompanied by an alleged attempt to compromise his WhatsApp account.
According to the Bishop, the incident would not prevent him from providing pastoral care to Taylor or any other member of his congregation.
“I have the evidence of the threat, as well as the recording documenting the attempt to compromise my WhatsApp account. I will continue to give Former VP Jewel Howard-Taylor pastoral care,” he said.
Bishop Johnson stressed that while he is not responsible for the actions of individual members of his congregation, his pastoral responsibility does not end because a member is accused of wrongdoing.
“I love every member of my congregation, and I will never leave them or forsake them. That pastoral care will be extended to everyone—good, bad, and even those considered evil. I was sent to the outcasts of society, not to the ‘perfect,’” he said.
He added that his calling is to minister to people regardless of their past, circumstances or how society views them.
“Neither threats, intimidation, harassment, nor attempts to compromise my accounts will stop me from fulfilling that responsibility,” Bishop Johnson said.
He urged those behind the alleged threats not to waste their time attempting to intimidate him, insisting that he would continue to provide pastoral care to those entrusted to him.
“I will continue to do what I believe God has called me to do—with love, courage, conviction, and without fear,” he said.
