Monrovia, Liberia - On the occasion marking the 82nd birth anniversary of former President Ellen Johnson Silreaf, I am pleased to extend my heartfelt felicitations and best wishes to her, praying that she continues to enjoy God's bountiful blessings. We all recognize the service and dedication President Sirleaf rendered and is still rendering Liberia and humanity as a whole.

Her longtime advocacy for democracy in our country gives her global acclaim for which we, Liberians, are all proud. She served our country at a crucial time—a time our nation, then considered a pariah, was embroiled in a struggle to obtain peace and stability and to reposition itself in the comity of civilized nations.

On this day, therefore, I call on all Liberians to own the peace that we now enjoy. Let’s remember that peace came at a price that we all paid for through our collective endeavors to ensure our common patrimony remains a place that is safe for future generations.

One again, let me say, “Happy birthday to Africa’s first democratically elected female president.”