MONROVIA – The passing of Liberia’s former First Lady, Madam Nancy B. Doe, should have been a solemn moment of reflection and unity — a chance to remember her and pay our respects. Instead, her funeral has been politicized in a manner that disrespects both the deceased and the nation’s collective grief. We must resist turning moments of mourning into spectacles of division.
As someone born in Kelgbeh Village, Sinoe County, and deeply connected to Grand Gedeh through professional and personal experience, I consider myself part of both communities. I served across the length and breadth of Grand Gedeh as a Public Information Assistant with the United Nations Mission in Liberia (UNMIL), and I know the pride and sensitivity with which both counties approach legacy and memory.
That is why I found the public commentary allegedly authored or endorsed by Kanio Bai Gbala — a respected legal luminary, former campaign spokesman for President George Weah, and a member of the Doe family — to be deeply troubling. The article accused former President George Weah of failing the Doe family by not returning property allegedly belonging to the late President Samuel K. Doe. While emotions run high in times of loss, such assertions must be tempered by respect for due process and the rule of law.
President George Weah’s legacy and ties to former President Doe are well documented. From his early exposure through football to the support he received during his development as a player, Weah has always acknowledged Doe’s role in shaping his path. But to suggest that Weah had the unilateral authority to return property without legal due process is not only misleading — it’s dangerous.
Liberia is a republic governed by laws. If any member of the Doe family, including legal professionals such as Mr. Gbala, believes there is a legitimate claim to property, the proper channels exist: the courts, legal arbitration, and documentation. No President, past or present, should bypass those mechanisms based on sentiment or political ties. To do so would set a troubling precedent of executive overreach.
Moreover, I have seen no evidence presented that suggests Mr. Gbala attempted to initiate legal proceedings to reclaim said properties. Nor is there any public record of a formal request to President Weah or his administration to intervene within legal boundaries. If Mr. Gbala — with his legal credentials and political connections — failed to pursue justice through the courts, we must ask: was his article meant to seek redress, or merely public attention?
Let us not distort history. Many individuals, over the years, have found fame or political mileage through association or opposition — to President Weah. Using his name to draw controversy during a family’s moment of grief, however, crosses a line.
Instead of assigning blame, let us channel our energy into strengthening the rule of law. If any properties rightfully belong to the Doe family, let us join together — as citizens, lawyers, legislators, and advocates — to pursue their return legally and transparently. I, for one, stand ready to support such efforts alongside Senators Thomas Yaya Nimley and Emmanuel Zoe Pennue, or anyone seeking rightful justice through the courts.
As a nation still healing from its past, we must remember that funerals are not battlegrounds, and grief should not be politicized. The dignity of the dead demands that we conduct ourselves with restraint, humility, and adherence to the values that hold our republic together.
To my brother Kanio: let us honor the legacy of the late First Lady and the memory of President Doe by returning to the values of professionalism and legal integrity. The courts may not be perfect, but they are our path forward.
May the soul of Madam Nancy B. Doe — and all those who have gone before us — rest in perfect peace.
