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MONROVIA-Former President George Manneh Weah has addressed himself to the fire accident at his 9th Street residence, saying he and his wife were not at the house when the fire broke out and that they do not know what actually happened.
The last Wednesday fire which reportedly originated from his bedroom left it completely destroyed.
Circumstances surrounding the cause of the fire remained so scanty as the Liberia National Police and Liberia National Fire Service reported have reportedly been denied access to the structure to conduct investigations.
However, the situation has already taken political dimension, with the former President’s Political Party, Congress for Democratic Change (CDC) blaming the government for the fire.
Party Chairman, Atty. Janga Kowo who rushed on the scene told reporters that the situation was “concerning.”
The Liberian government has equally distanced itself from having anything to do with the fire in whatever form or manner. Deputy Information Minister Daniel Sando told reporters last Thursday that CDC’s accusation was “sweeping and baseless.”
But speaking at his Forky Klon Jlaleh Family Fellowship Church on Sunday, September 28, 2025, former President Weah thanked God that the situation did not go out of hands, in terms of the house being totally destroyed.
“When we got here, my wife said, today you and I are sleeping in Rehab. And I agreed with her and said there is no need for you to say it because where you want to sleep, I will follow you,” he said.
President Weah also has a home in the Rehab Community where he spent most of his six-year presidency before moving into the 9th Street Residence following its completion in 2003.
“I did not know the decision we took, meant something,” the former head of state expressed, adding that he got a call at mid-night that the house was burning.
“I say glory be to God because it could have been worse if I was there and the fire ignited,” he emphasized in an attempt to exalt God’s mercy and favor upon his life and family.
According to him, he and his wife are times get frosty about issues, but he did not argue with her this time around when she made the appeal that they should sleep in Rehab together, adding “this is why we are not in trouble today.”
“It is just a house,” he exclaimed, trying to play down the severity of the issue, but at the same time drew attention to similar fire incident at the house before he became President.
“I remember, they chased me out of that house and put it on fire, but the house did not come down,” he said but fell short naming anyone for it.
With the latest fire incident, the former President said “yes, flames went out, but the house is still there. This is the second time; what happened, we don’t know. The only thing we can say, to God be all the glory.”
He refused to play the guess and blame politics that marred the fire incident at his house, stressing “We don’t know what happened.”
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.