Statement by His Excellency Joseph Nyuma Boakai, Sr. President of the Republic of Liberia. At The State Funeral Service and Reburial of Former President Samuel Kanyon Doe, Sr. and Burial of former First Lady Nancy Bohn Doe

Statement by His Excellency Joseph Nyuma Boakai, Sr. President of the Republic of Liberia. At The State Funeral Service and Reburial of Former President Samuel Kanyon Doe, Sr. and Burial of former First Lady Nancy Bohn Doe

At the Zwedru City Hall. Zwedru City, Grand Gedeh County

June 27, 2025

Mr. Speaker and Members of the Legislature;
Mr. Superintendent;
Officials of Government;
Members of the Clergy;
Family and Friends of the late President Samuel Kanyon Doe and the late Mrs. Nancy Doe;
Distinguished Guests;
The Media;
My Fellow Citizens:

We gather here today with solemn hearts and a shared sense of reverence to honor and reinter the remains of our former Head of State, President Samuel Kanyon Doe, and his loving wife, the late former First Lady, Mrs. Nancy Bohn Doe.

This is not 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.

President Samuel Doe led Liberia through a decade of immense challenges, from 1980 to 1990. 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.

Let today be more than a symbolic gesture. Let it be 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.

To our youth, many of whom were not yet born during those difficult years, I say this: learn from the lessons of our history. Understand the cost of division. Let unity, peace, and service to country be your guiding stars.

To the Doe family, I urge you to remain united and continue to lead by example. Let your legacy be one of strength, dignity, and national healing.

To the people of Grand Gedeh, and all Liberians across our fifteen counties, this is our time to come together. Let us reconcile. Let us heal. Let us build a Liberia where no region is forgotten, no citizen is overlooked, and no past injustice is allowed to define our future.

Let us reject bitterness. Let us reject division. Let us walk forward with hope, guided by love for our country and faith in our shared destiny. Let us protect the peace we now have with vigilance and cherish it with patriotism.

Even as we celebrate the legacy of our late former President, I must pay special tribute to the late Mrs. Nancy B. Doe, whose passing while preparing for this very ceremony, added another layer of sorrow to today’s solemn occasion.

I had the privilege of knowing Mrs. Nancy B. Doe personally. As 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.

She touched the lives of many with compassion and generosity. Today, we remember and celebrate her life as we lay her to rest beside her husband. May their reunion be peaceful and eternal.

May the souls of President Samuel Kanyon Doe and Mrs. Nancy B. Doe rest in perfect peace.

May God bless us all and save the Republic.

Thank you.