Zwedru, Grand Gedeh County – For obvious reasons woven deeply in politics, especially what they saw as undue victimization of them during the brutal civil war by some people linked to the ruling Unity Party, the people of Grand Gedeh County, Southeastern Liberia, have historically voted massively against UP in favor of the opposition Congress for Democratic Change (CDC) in all elections held since 2005.
However, political pundits believe there seems to be a twist to how Grand Gedeans may henceforth perceive the new UP under the leadership of President Joseph Nyuma Boakai with last week’s events where the President led an array of government officials and other dignitaries and superintended over the reburial and burial of two of the greatest citizens from the county, the late President Samuel Kanyon Doe and former first lady Nancy Bohn Doe, the occasion that will forever remain unforgettable in the lives of the people.
The Analyst looks back on the occasion that has unprecedentedly lifted the name and political fortune of President Boakai to an Olympian height.
President Joseph Nyuma Boakai last week fulfilled his promise to accord the late President Samuel Kanyon Doe a proper and befitting reburial 35 years after his death as well as a burial of his late widow, former first lady, Nancy Bohn Doe who died May 21, 2025 after a brief illness in Monrovia.
President Boakai who in the concluding portion of his second State of the Nation Address (SONA) delivered early this year, said he was invoking what he called a “Moment of Truth” in the supreme interest of the country and asserted that beyond his assessment of the challenges the nation faces, he identified certain intangibles which impelled him to initiate several steps to address them, among which was proposing the “proper burial of former Presidents William R. Tolbert and Samuel K. Doe”.
While the arrangements to actualize the national project were ongoing including the appointment of the national steering committee headed by the Minister of Education Dr. Jarso Jallah, the former first lady, died suddenly in Monrovia, throwing the nation and the family into grief and disbelief. The bereaved family while informing the government of Liberia through the offices of the President, made a passionate appeal for a reburial of their late patriarch to be held alongside the burial of the late first lady jointly. President Boakai responded swiftly and accepted the request while promising full participation in the process.
To kick off the activities, Vice President Jeremiah Kpang Koung who represented President Boakai, consoled the family and presented USD5,000 as his personal contribution while also encouraging the family to unite and use the period of bereavement to draw closer to each other even if there is any disagreement among them.
JNB Takes front role
President Boakai, despite his busy schedule, personally visited the family on the 24th Street, Sinkor and was met on arrival by the elder daughter of the demised couple, Miss Veronica Mamie Doe, former President Pro Tempore of the Senate, Isaac Nyenabo, and a host of other relatives. The president, looking visibly subdued by the tragic loss, expressed his condolences on behalf of the government, people of Liberia and his own family.
Giving the perspective on the relationship he had with the former first couple, President Boakai reflected on the elevation he got from Doe, appointing him first as Managing Director of the defunct Liberia Produce Marketing Corporation (LPMC) and then later as Minister of Agriculture, the position he served from 1982 to 1985. Before departure, the President announced the donation of 5 cows and an amount of USD100k to assist the family towards the funeral service while emphatically stating that he will attend all official engagements including being in Grand Gedeh County to conclude all funeral rites.
On Monday, June 23, President Boakai led top government officials and others to the signing of the book of condolence for both Doe and his deceased wife, Nancy at the Centennial Memorial Pavilion on Ashmun street which was followed by the lying in state at the same venue on Wednesday, June 24, 2025 before the remains were taken to Zwedru City, Grand Gedeh County under full military escort.
JNB Storms Grand Gedeh County Amid Jubilation.
Even when President Boakai himself repeatedly stated that he will personally lead the charge of activities in Zwedru, doubts abounded from some people who thought the President could not abandon other important state matters to travel as far as Grand Gedeh County; and besides, some citizens had insinuated that since the county had not supported him throughout his political endeavors, he could snub the program as a pay back to Grand Gedeans for what he had politically experienced in their hands.
“You mean Boakai coming to Grand Gedeh County for the reburial and burial of former President Samuel Kanyon Doe and former first lady Nancy Bohn Doe? Hmmm…I have serious doubts but I will pray to see the day when the President will be here to attend the program. You know we did not vote for him and I am sure he will want to use this time to pay us back in our own coins”, a doubting strong opposition middle age man who pleaded not to be named in the papers said in Zwedru when local radio stations announced a day before Boakai’s arrival in the county.
On Thursday, June 26, 2025, the day after the bodies of Doe and wife arrived in Grand Gedeh County, a loud siren sound could be heard across the Cestos River, the boundary between Nimba and Grand Gedeh Counties heralding the august guest who was living up to the promise he had made several days before. The local county authority led by Superintendent Alex Chersia Grant, the County Legislative Caucus headed by Senator Thomas Yaya Nimely, the Commissioner of the B’hai Administrative District, Kelvin Kayee, local chiefs and elders, market women, students and huge number of enthusiastic citizens were on hand to receive President Boakai.
After the usual traditional welcome activities which also included welcome statements from Superintendent Grant and Senator Nimely, expressing their respective statements welcoming the president and wishing him a happy stay, the presidential entourage was led into the county amid singing, dancing and cheers along the way to Zwedru from citizens and residents in the various villages and towns leading to Zwedru. Another huge crowd welcomed and ushered the President into Zwedru before he reclined after a long journey that took him from Monrovia straight to Zwedru.
President Boakai did not attend the official wake keeping ceremony held later that night owing to the fatigue he experienced and the fact that he was also busy attending to several persons including some of his officials as he directs the affairs of the state from outside Montserrado County. However, he was ably represented by a high- power delegation headed by Minister Jallah who interestingly coordinated all the activities surrounding the ceremonies.
JNB’s Emotional and Moving Address at the Funeral
President Boakai, dressed in a dark suit, arrived at the Zwedru City Hall, venue of the event after the two caskets bearing the remains of the deceased were taken there under full military escort and followed by government officials, family members and citizens. Also at the occasion were the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Richard Nagbe Koon, other top government officials and dignitaries.
Speaking in a solemn tone right after the official gazettes from the government for the deceased were read and wreaths laid on the caskets, President Boakai as a unifier and statesman, expressed sorrow for the tragedy and stated that the occasion was neither just about the families and Grand Gedeh County nor just a burial; “it is a moment of national reflection, a time to reconcile with our history, to heal from our wounds, and to remember with respect and purpose”, he asserted
President Boakai stated that the occasion was a moment of national reflection, a time to reconcile with the country’s history, to heal from the wounds, and to remember with respect and purpose.
The President who served under Doe during the military era first as Managing Director of the Liberia Produce Marketing Corporation(LPMC) from 1980 to 1982 and then Minister of Agriculture from 1982 to 1985, paid glorying tribute to his former boss, stating that Doe led Liberia through a decade of immense challenges, from 1980 to 1990 and that “he rose to power as a young man with a bold vision to empower ordinary Liberians and uplift the voices of those long marginalized”.
“His Administration laid foundations in infrastructure, education, and industry. Many of these efforts remain visible and relevant today. His dream was to transform Liberia into a nation where every citizen could thrive.
“I speak not only as President, but also as someone who served under President Doe. I served first as Managing Director of the Liberia Produce and Marketing Corporation, and later as Minister of Agriculture.
“Through our work together, I came to know him personally. He was determined. He was sometimes misunderstood. But he was always committed to improving the lives of the Liberian people. Our collaboration was built on mutual respect and a shared vision of national service.
“This reburial carries weight far beyond Grand Gedeh or the Doe family. It symbolizes a broader effort to reconcile with our past and to heal our nation. The civil conflict that followed his tragic death inflicted deep scars. But through God’s grace, we have enjoyed peace for over two decades”, President Boakai said amidst cheers from the audience.
He urged Liberians to see the day more than a symbolic gesture but “a chapter turned, a mark of our readiness to move forward, to make peace with the past, and to uphold justice, unity, and truth”
“This dignified reburial reflects our national maturity and our collective will to heal. It underscores my Government’s policy to remove the lingering shadows of conflict and to foster reconciliation for all Liberians.
“As I stated in my Annual Message earlier this year, reconciliation and healing are central to our development agenda. We cannot build a prosperous Liberia on broken foundations. Our future depends on unity, on confronting the past through truth, forgiveness, and a shared commitment to progress”, the President furthered.
Speaking about the virtue of the late former first lady, President Boakai said he had the privilege of knowing her personally, stating that as a first lady, “she was the very embodiment of grace, dignity, and quiet strength. In the face of profound loss, she bore her sorrow with remarkable composure and unwavering devotion to her family and to the Liberian people”.
“She did not shrink from the immense shadows cast by the wings of her late husband’s state leadership. Rather, she stood firmly by President Doe’s side; not as a figure eclipsed, but as a light of her own.
“She was resolute, gracious, and unafraid. With poise and courage, she stepped into the full weight of parenthood, filling the void left by the demands of the presidency that often drew a loving father away. Her legacy is one of resilience, honor, and steadfast love”, President eulogized the deceased former first lady.
As the President concluded his emotional address, echoes of appreciation, praises and chants for him could be heard in around the building as the citizens went wide with celebration. “Our eyes open now ooooo, we did not know you before, they fool us but we will correct it in 2029”, some of the shouts were heard far and near.
Speaker Richard Nagbe Koon who later on spoke on behalf of the national legislature, re-echoed the call of the President for Liberians to see the day as a point of reconciliation and rally around a common cause to move the nation forward. He praised the late Doe for his “bold stand to develop the country through sound economic policies such as the minting of the five dollar coins and later the bank notes to curtail capital flight”.
“As a lecturer of accounting at the University of Liberia and a candidate for a PhD in accounting I can say that the policies were meant to create wealth and develop the country that Liberians would have appreciated. I pay homage to him for his service to this nation and he will be so remembered”, Speaker Koon said.
Grand Gedeans Praise JNB
If there was any other thing that popped up at the well-attended ceremonies which will for a very long time dominate politics in the region, it will be the surprising and sudden change of hearts from Grand Gedeans towards President Boakai whom they rejected four times at the polls, the first two times being when he ran alongside former President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf in 2005 and 2011 and the last two when he ran as presidential candidate in 2017 and 2023 against former president George Manneh Weah who got massive votes.
“At this time, we have to begin to think and know who really likes us. We rejected him throughout for someone who we thought was our own son; what can be pointed out as something our son did for us; but in just two years, see what we are seeing from President Joseph Nyuma Boakai. Today, we have been restored. President Doe has been reburied and we can now see his grave; first lady Nancy Doe’s body was brought home too for burial.
“Grand Gedeans, please open your eyes next time. Nobody will fool us again”, said Mr. Vlendy Towah, a community leader during the funeral service at the Zwedru City Hall.
Perhaps what came out powerfully that resonated with the people and which was seen as direct appreciation of President Boakai and could positively impact on his chances in 2029 if he decides to recontest, came from Senator Thomas Yaya Nimely who, speaking on behalf of the legislative caucus and the entire citizens of the county when he minced no word how the citizens had no clue of how receptive and accommodating President Boakai is when “we went all out to reject him because we could not see any good in him at the time”
“Mr. President, this is not a guess and it is from the bottom of our heart. You solved an age-old problem such that we can now travel on the route from Zwedru to Monrovia on an average 6 hours and 30 minutes, something that was taking us days and weeks to achieve. It is under your Unity Party government this is happening.
“Besides, you have made us have closure today. It is under your administration, someone from the North of the country who came to our cry to have this dignified state reburial and burial of our son and daughter, the late President Samuel Kanyon Doe and former first lady, Nancy B. Doe. We appreciate you Mr. President and this will forever remain in our memory”, Senator Nimely said and received thunderous cheers from the crowd.
This open recognition from the Senator also cut across the county with people in group discussions, casual conversation or argument maintaining that President Boakai has done far more than the previous administration under Weah whom they massively voted for since 2005 but “he just used us and abandoned us”.
JNB reconciles aggrieved family members
Notwithstanding the grand success of the reburial and burial events, there were some noticeable cracks among some family members before and during the various programs and it caught the attention of President Boakai who besides being the leader of the country also knew the deceased couple and decided to wade in to bring everything under control.
It was noticed that during the events in Zwedru, Senator Zoe Emmanuel Pennue and some children of the late President as well as some elders and family members from the traditional quarter in Tuzon were conspicuously absent but had a parallel family get together in Tuzon among themselves.
At the end of the activities in Zwedru, the President and entourage made a brief stop in Tuzon to sympathize with the family before proceeding to Monrovia and called for genuine reconciliation among them. He was highly welcomed with traditional singers hailing him and showering him with praises and blessings as women danced and the youth chanting “our pa now come, our pa now come, we love you JNB, you are a true and great leader.
Earlier in his welcome remark, Senator Pennue praised and described the President as “father to everyone irrespective of where you come from”, stating his decision to accord the late president and his wife a respectable reburial and burial was remarkable, “and I can tell you Grand Gedeans are not ungrateful people and you will see it”.
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