(To Veronica Mamie Doe and the Doe Family)
Your open letter is both heartfelt and deeply painful to read. It reminds us of the lasting wounds that political misunderstandings and unmet expectations can leave on those who once shared the stage of national history. The passing of former First Lady Nancy Bohn Doe is indeed a somber moment for Liberia—one that invites not just reflection, but healing.
President George Weah’s expression of sorrow upon her death may seem, to some, untimely or even disingenuous. But grief does not always arrive in harmony with our past behavior. Human beings, including presidents, are often deeply flawed in their interpersonal dealings, and yet capable of sincere regret. It is possible that President Weah’s statement came not from politics, but from a private reckoning—an acknowledgment that time and power should not have stood between him and a woman who was, undeniably, a part of Liberia’s legacy.
It is regrettable, if true, that Mrs. Doe was left standing at the Mansion gates for six years without audience. It is equally regrettable that her voice was not accorded the honor and listening ear due her station as Liberia’s first Indigenous First Lady. If these actions were indeed taken by the Weah administration, they were not befitting of a government that championed inclusion and reconciliation.
But it is never too late for reconciliation.
In defense of Mr. Weah, it should be remembered that his own presidency was born out of a turbulent national past, one marked by broken systems and deep distrust. His administration inherited a bureaucracy often resistant to reform, and personal appeals could easily have been mismanaged or politicized beyond his knowledge or intent. The decisions that may have hurt Mrs. Doe may not have come from hatred—but from poor counsel, overwhelming pressure, or administrative failures. None of these excuses erase the pain, but they may offer a fuller picture of a presidency that tried, in many ways, to do right by Liberia’s history.
Now that Mrs. Nancy B. Doe is no longer with us, let her passing become the gateway to something greater: national reconciliation. Let President Weah and the Doe family meet—not in bitterness, but in dialogue. Let her legacy be honored not just in words but through tangible acts of acknowledgment: the resolution of her ECOWAS appeal, recognition of her service, and the reinstatement or processing of any long-denied entitlements.
Liberia needs these gestures. We need to demonstrate that our democracy is not only about elections and campaigns, but also about memory, justice, and dignity. The nation watched Nancy B. Doe endure tragedy with grace. Let us now show that her resilience was not in vain.
Let us also honor her by remembering that grief is a sacred space where redemption can begin. If President Weah’s words came too late, let his actions now speak more clearly. And let those of us who witnessed these events carry not bitterness, but the hope that even in loss, we can find a new way forward—as one people, under God.
Signed,
A Liberian Citizen Seeking Unity Over Division
May 23, 2025
