ULAA Board Chairman James Nan Larsah, Jr. Honored by the African Patriot Network

Receives Excellent Leadership Award

The Chairman of the National Board of Directors of the Union of Liberian Associations in the Americas (ULAA), James Nan Larsah, Jr., was over the weekend the recipient of the African Patriot Award for Excellent Leadership .

The honor was conferred upon the soft-spoken and agreeable but very firm ULAA Board Chairman last Saturday evening in Collingdale City in the suburb of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The award was bestowed on Chairman Larsah by the African Patriot Network, whose President is the Philadelphia-based young and promising Liberian media executive and entrepreneur, Mr. J. Kpanquoi Jallah, Jr.

The African Award Night event attracted a huge gathering of dignitaries and personalities from various and diverse professional and community backgrounds. Present were the Councilman of Upper Darby, Nathaniel Goodson, who was the Guest Speaker, the Superintendent of the Upper Darby Police, Michael Chitwood, who performed the presentation of Certificates. Others who graced the occasion were Hons. Benoni Tarr Grimes, the Interim National Executive Vice President of the ULAA, Koleh Boayue, President of the Northeast Philadelphia Chapter, Ms. Charlotte Henderson of Chicago, and the wife of Chairman Larsah, Rashidat Nenny Larsah, and children, among many others.

The Clearview U.M. Church Praise Dancers were on hand to perform amazing gospel selections and spectacular dances, while the Kebeh African Design did not fail to perform to the merriment of the audience by modeling various colorful and extravagant African attire.

Of particular mention at the program was the much esteemed humanitarian, Ms. Patricia Quinn, whose name has now become a sort of household commodity in various Liberian communities for her timely and generous donation of several caskets for the burial of the Philadelphia fire victims. Because of the high regard in which she is held by Liberians, and given that the nature of her intervention was so solemn and greatly relieving to both the bereaved families and all concerned, Ms. Quinn’s Humanitarian Award was presented to her first among the rest of the other recipients by both the President and Publisher of the African Patriot Network and his wife, J. Kpanquoi and Margaret Jallah.

In a very brief remark, Chairman James Nan Larsah, Jr. spoke of what he described as this “crucial moment in the history of the Union of Liberian Associations in the Americas (ULAA), when the cause of justice and the fundamental principle of the respect for the rule of law can never be any less consequential.” He reflected on the American axiom that “If the law of supply and demand was responsible for the existing prices, it ought to be repealed,” and paraphrased in the ULAA context.

Chairman Larsah continued that “If the law breakers of ULAA are responsible for the crisis in the Union, they must be resisted; If the money embezzlers of ULAA are responsible for the bankruptcy of the Union, they must be exposed and held accountable,” adding that “It is an honor to pursue and uphold justice; It is an honor to resist tyranny; It is an honor to honor your oath.” Chairman Larsah received a standing ovation, and expressed thanks to the President and management of the African Patriot Network for the noble undertaking.

In a related development, we have resolved to publish below a profile of the Chairman of the ULAA National Board of Directors, James Nan Larsah, Jr., as a way of providing an insight into the character and background of the man who received the Excellent Leadership Award.