Liberian News: ‘Let’s Reject Bitterness’

Monrovia-President Joseph Nyuma Boakai Sr., has beseeched Liberians including Grand Gedeans to reject all vices that only adds strife to contentions already existing.

Speaking at the State Funeral Service and Reburial of former President Samuel Kanyon Doe and Burial of former First Lady Nancy Bohn Doe, the President passionately appealed to every Liberian to also reject bitterness and that Liberians should “walk forward with hope, guided by love for our country and faith in our shared destiny.”

He told Liberians to jealously “protect the peace we now have with vigilance and cherish it with patriotism.”

“We gather here today with solemn hearts and a shared sense of reverence to honor and reinter the remains of our former Head of State, President Samuel Kanyon Doe, and his loving wife, the late former First Lady, Mrs. Nancy Bohn Doe.

“This is not just a burial; it is a moment of national reflection, a time to reconcile with our history, to heal from our wounds, and to remember with respect and purpose.”

Among other things, the President reminisced how his former boss—President Doe—led Liberia through a decade of immense challenges, from 1980 to 1990. “He rose to power as a young man with a bold vision to empower ordinary Liberians and uplift the voices of those long marginalized.”

The President didn’t only eulogize the former President; he also spoke highly of the late former First Lady.

“Even as we celebrate the legacy of our late former President, I must pay special tribute to the late Mrs. Nancy B. Doe, whose passing while preparing for this very ceremony, added another layer of sorrow to today’s solemn occasion.

“I had the privilege of knowing Mrs. Nancy B. Doe personally. As First Lady, she was the very embodiment of grace, dignity, and quiet strength. In the face of profound loss, she bore her sorrow with remarkable composure and unwavering devotion to her family and to the Liberian people.”

Alphonso Toweh

Has been in the profession for over twenty years. He has worked for many international media outlets  including: West Africa Magazine, Africa Week Magazine, African Observer and  did occasional reporting for CNN, BBC World Service, Sunday Times, NPR, Radio Deutchewells, Radio Netherlands. He is the current correspondent for Reuters 
 He holds first  MA with honors in International  Relations and a  candidate for second master in International Peace studies and Conflict  Resolution from the University of Liberia.