‘I’m living in serious pain’

By Lincoln G. Peters 

Mr. Omego Tougbay, an ailing Liberian cocoa farmer from Siaway Town, Nimba County Electoral District #5, is appealing to all well-meaning Liberians, philanthropists, and humanitarian organizations to assist him seek better medical treatment for his damaged eye.

He told this paper in an exclusive interview Saturday, 15 July 2023 that he is facing a strange situation with his eyes. 

According to Tougbay, it started when he got hit by a stick while working on his cocoa farm.

He explained that on 15 April 2022, while working on his cocoa farm, a stick hit and damaged his eye.

According to him, since the unfortunate situation, he has been living in extreme pain and blindness.

Tougbay said he finds it difficult to see or even work because tears pull down his eyes continuously. 

Tougbay pointed out that one of his friends who lives in Monrovia decided to help him, but the hospital in Monrovia charged him twenty thousand Liberian dollars to do the operation and to change his eyes. 

He also disclosed that some time ago, some eye specialists came to New Yourpia and requested all those with eye problems to come for a test.

He said when he got there, the specialists decided to help him and do an operation in Ganta City.

However, Tougbay lamented that he lost the opportunity because he never had the amount of ten thousand dollars charged, as well as transportation to leave his village.

“On April 15, 2022, this thing happened to me. I am begging anyone that will listen to me to please help me because I am in pain,” Tougbay cried out.

“This situation is like hell my brother. I no longer do any farm work. I have my cocoa farm but [I] can’t work there because anytime I bend down it’s like the eye [is] coming to fall, and the water can be pulling fast,” he explained further.

Mr. Tougbay disclosed that when the situation started, people told him to buy eye drops which he has used, but did not find a solution after spending all he had.

“I went to the hospital in Lerpola to do my test after applying all that people have told me, and no results,” said Tougbay. 

“Those eye specialists said that I should go to Ganta to change the eye for ten thousand Liberian dollars, but I [didn’t have] money that’s why I didn’t go.”

“I have been behind our lawmaker, Representative Samuel Kogar, but he has refused to help me,” he stated. 

Since the situation, he said the head of his family collected nine hundred Liberian dollars and gave it to him to get eye drops.

He said there has been no other help from the family, but he is being looked after by a lady who gives him food.

He said his partner has left him because of his eye. 

“Only Patricia taking care of me. In 2022, I [was] supposed to build [a] house, but no way. I am still sitting down here because of this condition.”

He said all his farms have been damaged, and he has no family members around him to provide help.