MONROVIA – As the confusion over the donation of former President George Weah to former President Samuel Doe’s Family lingers on publicly, the former National Campaign Spokesperson of the now opposition Coalition for Democratic Change (CDC), Cllr. Kanio Bai Gbala has urged the former President to rise above pride and politics to reclaim the moral high ground in regard to the push and pull of his donation towards the bereavement of the Doe family. President Weah is said to have been trying to honor the memory of the late First Lady of Liberia, Nancy Bonn Doe, when he presented the items.
In an open letter to former President Weah, the former CDC National Campaign Spokesman, who refers to himself as “a proud Grand Gedean and a bona fide member of the CDC,” said he feels honor-bound to offer his perspective on the ongoing matter between President Weah and the Doe Family.
Cllr. Gbala writes: “While I recognize the deeply rooted emotions and the far-reaching implications of this issue, it is evident that President Weah did not exercise the necessary diligence and sensitivity in his treatment of the Doe Family—particularly in his handling of matters involving the former First Lady. If this issue is not thoughtfully addressed, it risks spiraling into a national controversy.”
He continues, “President Weah must rise above pride and politics to reclaim the moral high ground. I strongly urge him to find his better self and reach out—not merely through symbolic gestures or public goodwill visits—but with sincere, direct engagement to acknowledge and resolve the grievances that are so rawly expressed and deeply felt.”
Cllr. Gbala further intones in his letter: “Having listened to Madam Nancy Doe’s testimony—a woman with whom President Weah once had a close and respectful relationship—I was profoundly disturbed. He allowed the pageantry of the Presidency to overshadow his better judgment, discipline, and human sensibilities. His alleged treatment of the former First Lady was discourteous and disrespectful, to say the very least.”
According to Cllr. Gbala, as someone who enjoys close ties to the Doe Family, he must remind all that President Weah ascended to the Presidency through the blood, sacrifices, and unwavering support of Grand Gedeans, adding, he should have exercised greater caution and empathy in his interactions with Madam Doe. “Moreover, he ought to have played an active role in restoring the family’s confiscated properties and privileges—items that were unjustly taken by individuals and by the Government of Liberia itself.”
“While I do not agree with the manner in which the contributions made by President Weah are being portrayed and debated in the media, I believe the sentiments and emotional responses coming from the Doe Family are justified. These are not merely media antics—they are the outpourings of years of repressed pain and residual animosity.”
In light of this, Cllr. Gbala has respectfully called “on my sister, Veronica Mamie Doe, to desist from further media appearances and call on all sides—supporters, critics, and all political actors—to lay down their verbal weapons, calm their passions, and refrain from further escalation until our mother, the former First Lady, is peacefully laid to rest.”
Concluding Cllr. Gbala states in his letter that following the funeral, he will stand beside Mamie Doe and the entire Doe Family to demand a sincere and long-overdue apology from President Weah – one that reflects not just acknowledgment, but atonement.
He notes that this saga portrays former President Weah poorly in the public and will impact his political future if care is not taken and an immediate redress is not achieved. “President Weah should not let history judge him by what was able to personally achieved, but by how he honors those who paved the way for his historic and marvelous ascent to stardom and global acclaim…”
The former CDC National Campaign Spokesperson, Cllr. Kanio Bai Gbala, then noted that these are his honest opinions of former president Weah’s donation saga to the Doe family.
NOTE: Cllr. Gbala posted this DISCLAIMER on his Facebook page: “This piece was written by Ernest Levi Madison, a fine son of Grand Gedeh County and I agree with every word.
