Seklau Elizabeth Wiles

Mother, Sister, and Aunt Seklau Worjloh Wiles. Honorable Seklau Elizabeth Worjloh-Wiles, BSC, MSc, Former Research Assistant, Former Director of Livestock Division, Former Deputy Minister for Administration, Former Deputy Minister for Technical Services and 20th Minister of Agriculture, Ministry of Agriculture, Nationalist and one of the female agricultural trailblazers. Devout Christian, Dedicated Public Servant of the Republic of Liberia. This sad event occurred on Sunday, July 3rd, 2022 in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, the United States of America after a period of illness. The late Honorable Seklau Elizabeth Worjloh-Wiles was born in Liberia in the City of Monrovia on July 22, 1955 unto the union of Mr. Isaac B. Worjloh, Sr. and Sarah Gbeh Wreh Worjloh. Both parents predeceased her.

Seklau, as she was affectionately called, started her primary education in Liberia at the

St. Teresa’s Convent in 1958 and later graduated in 1970. Desirous of pursuing higher

education, she enrolled at the University of Liberia, where she obtained a Bachelor of

Science degree in General Agriculture in 1974. Upon her graduation from Liberian State University, she was hired in 1974 at the Ministry of Agriculture under the then Minister James T. Philips, Jr. as Research Officer. While as an Officer at the Ministry of Agriculture, and her passion for agriculture, the

discipline she dearly loved and cherished as her calling, Seklau enrolled at the U.S.-based Texas A. M. University in 1977 and she successfully completed her studies in 1978 with an M.Sc. degree in Animal Breeding. While opportunities availed to her to remain in the United States of America after her graduate studies, her patriotism and desire to contribute toward national agriculture development efforts in Liberia

motivated her return back home. After her return to Liberia, Seklau gained employment in 1979 at the Central Agricultural Experiment Station (which later became known as Central Agriculture Research Institute - CARI in 1980) as a Research Scientist, the post that she held up to the outbreak of the Liberian Civil War which began in December 1989. As was the case with most Liberians in the 1990s, she went into exile in the United States of America and landed in Louisiana. She later was employed as Research

Associate with the Louisiana State University from 1991 to 2010. After the decade and half of civil war had ended and given the need to have competent Liberians in strategic leadership roles in the public sector following the election of President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, Seklau was recruited as Animal Scientist and Breeder under the joint GoL and multi-donor Senior Executive Service (SES) Program 1 implemented through the Civil Service Agency (CSA). She subsequently returned to Liberia in 2010 and was was assigned to the Ministry of Agriculture.

Her exceptional performances and professionalism exhibited in reviving the National

Livestock Bureau at the Ministry landed her to a Presidential appointment in July 2013

as Deputy Agriculture Minister for Administration and she concurrently oversaw the

National Livestock Bureau during the tenure of the Minister of Agriculture, Dr. Florence

A. Chenoweth. Seklau was very much instrumental in strengthening the Ministry’s

administrative department and livestock division through the formulation of existing

policies and programs as well as training of young agriculture professionals who

continue to be bedrocks. With five (5) years of satisfactorily performing as Deputy Minister for Administration; and in view of her decades of hands-on technical knowledge and experiences, a strong

recommendation nominating Seklau to take on more roles was made by the Minister of Agriculture, Dr. Moses M. Zinnah to The President of Liberia, which resulted into Seklau’s second appointment in January 2017 as Deputy Minister for Technical Services and she oversaw programs for crops and animals improvement.

In May 2017, Seklau got her third appointment by The President of Liberia when she was named as Minister of Agriculture – thus becoming the 20th Minister and second female to have ascended that position since the creation of the Ministry of Agriculture in 1948. She remained in that position until Liberia entered its first peaceful hand-over of power from one democratically elected President to another in 2018. After her exit from public services, Madam Wiles relocated to her farmland Suakoko, Bong County and was actively engaged into promoting integrated agriculture production systems involving vegetable crops, livestock, poultry and aquaculture – adding value to Liberian private sector’s involvement in agriculture, something that remain her active her duties until she was called home by the Heavenly Father.

Young Seklau joined in holy matrimony with Dr. Walter T. Wiles in 1977 - her devoted husband of 44 years and this union was blessed with four children and many foster children. With the untimely and shocking home-going of Honorable Seklau Elizabeth Worjloh Wiles, the her family has lost a caring, loving, tower of strength and supportive member; her church has also lost a faithful servant of the Lord; the Ministry of Agriculture will miss an Animal Scientist par excellence; the Liberian people has lost a resilient agriculturist; her colleagues and associates, a reliable companion and the Government of Liberia, a dedicated public servant and committed patriot who immensely contributed to the growth of the nation’s animal husbandry sector. She will be lovingly remembered by her husband of 44 years, Dr. Walter T. Wiles; her children: Musu Worjloh Ramos (Carlos), Matsue Z. Wiles, Walter T. Wiles Jr. (Betty) and Ameth V. Wiles; beloved foster children: Sandra Worjloh Nah (Albert), Bayty Worjloh Fofana (Abraham Rufus), Kasumo Siafa (Johannah), Dr. Richard J. Doe, Tanneh Tugbeh, and Ophelia Logan. Seklau is also survived by her siblings: brothers Joseph Momboe Worjloh (Leona), Steven B. Worjloh, Thomas K. Worjloh (Monica), Francis T. Worjloh, Stephen S. “Big Steve” Worjloh, Patrick J. Worjloh (Vivian), Isaac B. Worjloh Jr, and sisters Beatrice Sciou Worjloh Broderick (Jacob), Lucy Worjloh Wissner, Bernice Worjloh, Memean “Big Girl” Worjloh Dennis, Dorothy Thomas Worjloh, Tanneh Massaquoi (Roland, Sr) and

Edward Sayraeh (Janjay). She also leaves behind her grandchildren Emmanuelle and Braylon Wiles.

She also will be dearly missed by her in-laws: Richard A. Wiles, F. Mamusu Thornes, Zinnah Wiles, Chantal Doe, Arthur Wiles (Patience), Stanley Wiles (Prunell), Lucia Wiles. She also leaves behind a host of godchildren, cousins, nieces, nephews and other relatives and friends in the U.S.A., Liberia and other parts of the world.

On Saturday, July 30th, 2022 at nine o’ clock a.m. (CST) the remains of Honorable Seklau Elizabeth Worjloh-Wiles will be removed from Green Oaks Funeral Home & Memorial Park; 9595 Florida Blvd., Baton Rouge, LA. and taken to the St. Alban’s Chapel, 11 Dalrymple Dr., Baton Rouge, La. 70808 for funeral rites. Interment follows thereafter.

As a mark of last respect and tribute to the late Honorable Seklau Elizabeth Worjloh-Wiles, BSC, MSc, Former Research Assistant, Former Director of Livestock Division, Former Deputy Minister for Administration, Former Deputy Minister for Technical Services and 20th Minister of Agriculture, Ministry of Agriculture, Nationalist, Devout Christian, Dedicated Public Servant of the Republic of Liberia, it is hereby ordered and directed that on the day of interment, the National Ensign of the Republic be flown at half mast from all public buildings in Montserrado County from eight o’clock ante meridian to six o’clock post meridian.

Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.Greenoaksfunerals.com for the Wiles family.