MONROVIA – Veronica Mamie Doe, the eldest daughter of former slain President Samuel Kanyon Doe and deceased former First Lady Nancy Bohn Doe, has given reasons that have led to the Doe Family to reject former President George Weah’s gifts for their bereavement.
At the heart of the rejection is an apology issued by Ambassador Isaac Nyenabo, who had initially accepted the gesture on behalf of the family according to family members.
There are reports of continuous tension between and amongst the family of the late First Lady over the former President Weah’s donation. Currently, there is a division within the family as a result of Weah’s gesture.
The package included US$5,000 in cash, 50 bags of rice, and two cows.
Mamie Doe, the eldest daughter of the late First Lady and current head of the family, told journalists that Ambassador Isaac Nyenabo has since apologized, admitting he was unaware of the family’s internal decision and longstanding grievances regarding Mr. Weah.
“Ambassador Nyenabo said he didn’t know the full situation and the agreement we had made as a family. He has apologized to us,” said Ms. Doe.
Family members have added that the family’s rejection is rooted in deeper concerns, including what they describe as neglect and hypocrisy by the former President. “Mr. Weah never showed concern for our mother when she was alive. Now that she’s gone, he wants to make a gesture. We see that as dishonest and ungrateful,” Mamie Doe stated.
The Family has long maintained that the late Nancy B. Doe, widow of former President Samuel K. Doe, was denied her rightful benefits as a former First Lady during Mr. Weah’s Administration, a matter they say remains unresolved.
This marks the second time the Doe Family has publicly rejected a gesture from the former President, fuelling speculation about deeper underlying tensions between the two sides.
The unexpected development has triggered a wave of public commentary, with some questioning whether the move is purely personal or reflective of broader concerns over state treatment of past national figures and their families.
Up to press time, there has been no official response from former President Weah regarding the family’s rejection or the apology from Ambassador Nyenabo.
Doe Family Rejects Gov’t Re-Burial Initiative of former Pres. Doe
This is not the first or second time that former President Samuel K. Doe’s Family has rejected offers from the state or a former President.
It can be recalled in May of this year; former President Doe’s Family rejected the Government of Liberia offer to rebury the slain Liberian leader.
In a letter to Education Minister Dr. Jarso Maley Jallah, Chairperson, President’s Reburial Committee, set up by President Joseph Nyuma Boakai, the late former First Lady and her daughter Veronica Mamie Doe outlined several reasons for rejecting the government’s offer:
See excerpt of the letter below:
“Dear Hon. Dr. Jallah and Esteemed Committee Members,
Please find attached the Formal Notice of Cancellation regarding the Government’s proposed reburial of Former President Samuel Kanyon Doe. This document outlines in full detail the Doe Family’s final and non-negotiable withdrawal from the process, due to the ongoing exclusion, misconduct, and disregard demonstrated throughout the committee’s handling of this deeply sensitive matter.
Also included with this correspondence are:
The official minutes from the committee meeting as shared with our family.
A voice recording of Mrs. Nancy B. Doe’s conversation with Mr. Chris Bailey, offering firsthand evidence of the disrespect and unconstitutional overreach that has compounded our distress.
Let it be made unequivocally clear: the Government-planned reburial is fully cancelled and condemned by the Doe Family. Any attempt to proceed without our express consent will be considered a direct violation of ancestral, legal, and spiritual principles—and will not stand.
We will handle President Doe’s reburial independently, with honour, dignity, and spiritual authority. The Government will be informed of our plans in due course, should it wish to attend as guests—not organisers.
We urge you to respect this decision and cease all references and preparations related to President Doe’s reburial under the current arrangement.
Sincerely,
Mrs. Nancy B. Doe
Mrs. Veronica Mamie Doe
London, United Kingdom”
But prior to the late First Lady and her daughter Veronica Mamie Doe’s rejection of the government’s offer, in September 2022, the former First Lady Nancy Doe requested a state reburial of her husband, who was murdered during the Liberian civil war.
Madam Doe said it is regrettable that her husband does not have a grave to decorate during the decoration of gravesites every year in the country.
“My husband loved me, and I want to give him a state burial. By right, it is the government that supposed to do it but the attention is not there if the state cannot do it, let them give me my benefit — we the family can use it to rebury him,” she said during an interview with OK FM in Monrovia on Tuesday, August 8, 2022.
Doe’s Daughter Commends Reburial Plans, Commits Family to National Reconciliation Process
As the controversy lingered over the reburial of former President Doe, in May of this year, another daugther of the late President Samuel Kanyon Doe, Celue Yeatta Doe-Addo, formally expressed her appreciation to the Government of Liberia for initiating a state-sponsored reburial for her father and former President William R. Tolbert Jr. In a letter addressed to Education Minister Dr. Jarso Jallah, who chairs the Reburial Committee, Doe-Addo praised the government’s efforts as a meaningful act of national healing and reconciliation.
Writing with deep emotion, Doe-Addo acknowledged Minister Jallah’s “unwavering dedication” to the process and described the initiative as transcending politics, instead touching “the very soul of our nation.” She emphasized that the move to rebury the two former leaders with dignity was a significant step toward unity and closure for families and the Liberian people.
She further commended President Joseph Nyumah Boakai and his Administration for what she termed a “courageous and compassionate decision.” According to her, honoring her father through a proper state burial demonstrates statesmanship and a commitment to healing historical wounds.
While recognizing her father’s dual role as a former national leader and a father whose loss left a lasting void in the lives of his children, Doe-Addo affirmed her family’s full support and willingness to participate in the ceremony. She said her siblings, aunts, and other relatives are prepared to return home and work in collaboration with the committee and former Grand Gedeh Superintendent Christopher Beh Bailey to ensure the burial reflects both historical and familial significance.
Addressing differing opinions within the extended family, Doe-Addo respectfully clarified that she and her siblings do not support the views of Nancy and Veronica Doe, who have publicly taken opposing positions. Instead, she reaffirmed their belief that participating in the reburial aligns with national interests and honors their father’s legacy appropriately.
She concluded the letter by reiterating her commitment to supporting the committee’s work and expressed gratitude to Minister Jallah and President Boakai for facilitating what she believes is a vital step in Liberia’s journey toward lasting peace.
The letter was copied to President Boakai, members of the Reburial Committee, and former Superintendent Christopher Beh Bailey.
Sons of Slain President Doe Condemned “Hijacked” Memorial, Call for Dignified State Reburial
Also, in April of 2025, the sons of the slain Liberian President criticized what they described as a “deceptive and disrespectful” public memorial that was held in their father’s name, accusing Grand Gedeh County Senator Zoe Emmanuel Pennue of hijacking a genuine initiative by the veterans and military of Liberia.
In a strongly-worded statement released on a Sunday in April 2025, Samuel Kanyon Doe Jr. and ‘Fallah’ Varney Ezekiel Doe expressed outrage over being excluded from the planning of a memorial they say was orchestrated without consultation or consent of the immediate Doe Family, including their mother, former First Lady Nancy B. Doe.
“It is deeply regrettable that the former First Lady and her children—the immediate family of the late President—were never contacted or consulted,” the statement reads. “This manipulation, cloaked in false sentiment, has happened before. But we could never have anticipated the level of deception now on display.”
At the heart of the family’s anger was what they described as the “disgraceful” use of a makeshift casket in what they call a “so-called public memorial,” which they say diminished the dignity of the late President’s name. They further alleged that Senator Pennue, a member of the official Government Reburial Committee, used the platform not to foster national healing, but to pursue “control, confusion, and personal gain.”
“Zoe only planned this false memorial after learning that the Government was in direct, private discussions with our family about a formal State reburial,” the sons charged. “For years, he has aggressively worked to undermine our mother’s position as the widow of the late President, while simultaneously attempting to install artificial heirs.”
The Doe Family revealed that Senator Pennue previously made unsuccessful attempts to gain Letters of Administration over the estate of the late President, claiming his actions are part of a calculated effort to gain influence over assets and legacy to which he has no legitimate claim.
They emphasized that President Joseph Boakai’s Administration has been engaging directly and respectfully with the Doe Family to arrange a formal and dignified reburial for the former Head of State. The family praised the government’s approach, noting that their sister, Veronica Mamie Doe, has been involved in confidential discussions to facilitate the process.
“We applaud the Government of Liberia for undertaking this historic act—a bold step toward healing the nation and reconciliation,” they said. “This honour is nearly 35 years overdue, and it must be done right.”
In a conciliatory tone toward the armed forces, the family commended the Veterans and Military of Liberia for their “original intent, rooted in patriotism and loyalty,” and invited them to join in the forthcoming official memorial and state reburial process.
The sons affirmed that 2025 “marks the beginning of Remembrance, Reconciliation, and Justice for all,” while restating their commitment to working with the government to ensure a burial that reflects the late President Doe’s legacy, service, and sacrifice.
Latest Donation Rejected
The latest cow, cash and rice donation saga from former President Weah to the Doe Family has reawakened previous issues the Doe Family has had with past governments that failed to give the late President Samuel Doe a befitting state funeral, and now that his wife, Nancy D. Doe has passed, her burial slated to take place in Grand Gedeh, has brought to public attention that internal feud within the Doe Family, which families think should be resolved amicably before the former First Lady is laid to rest in her own county of Grand Gedeh.
