Monrovia – Former First Lady of Liberia, Nancy B. Doe, wife of slain Liberia President Samuel Kayon Doe, has requested a state reburial of her husband, who was murdered during the Liberian civil war.
Report by Edwin G. Genoway, Jr., [email protected]
Madam Doe said it is regrettable that her husband does not have a grave to decorate during the decoration of gravesites every year in the country.
“My husband loved me, and I want to give him a state burial. By right, it is the government that supposed to do it but the attention is not there if the state cannot do it, let them give me my benefit — we the family can use it to rebury him,” she said during an interview with OK FM in Monrovia on Tuesday, August 8.
It has been 30 years since the former Liberian President was killed by forces loyal to Prince Johnson, as Johnson sat and watched while drinking beer. Johnson, who is now senator of Nimba County in the Liberian Legislature, has said that the body was later exhumed and burned.
Madam Doe still bemoans the tragic killing of her husband, and now wants the current government to give her benefits so that she can exhume the remains of her husband and give a state reburial.
“The money I am talking about here I am not begging for it, I am entitled to it, it is my own sweat and I get it I can rebury my husband because I can just be inside and be crying on decoration day nowhere to go and decorate, I want to rebury my husband so I want my benefit,” she alarmed.
She noted that during the regime of former President Charles Taylor it was when she got to know about her benefit as former first lady, disclosing that since that time, she hasn’t gotten her benefit as former official of government.
“My husband loved me, and I want to give him a state burial. By right, it is a government that supposed to do it but the attention is not there if the state cannot do it, let them give me my benefit — we the family can use it to rebury him.”
– Nancy B. Doe, Wife of Slain President Samuel K. Doe
She, however, frowned on the Justice system for not giving her justice since she won her cases at the level of the ECOWAS Court situated in Nigeria.
Recently, the Ex First Lady won her case against the Liberian Government at the regional court; the ECOWAS Court of Justice has ordered the Government of Liberia to pay the sum of US$18,130,778.09 comprising monies deposited in various banks by former President Samuel Doe plus accrued interests, to Mrs. Nancy Bohn-Doe, widow and administrator of his estates.
The Court, however, rejected Mrs. Bohn-Doe’s request for US$342,615.57 as legal/lawyer’s fees and US$9 million as compensation for general damages.
Mrs BohnDoe had alleged violation of her right, particularly the right to property with the government’s refusal, through its agents, to allow her access to the accounts and information.
Citing some Articles in the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights among others, the former First Lady urged the Court to declare that the denial by the defendant of access to her late husband’s accounts and information to assist in the discovery of other accounts held by the husband, was a violation of her rights.
“I don’t have no justice from all my cases I won one cent have not gotten in my hands, I’ve been running behind those judges to see how I can get my money but no way,” she said.
Further commenting on reconciliation, the former First Lady called on all Liberians to unite and forge for a one Liberia, saying, “When the country is divided it is not good.”
She, however, noted that she supports the decision of most Liberians who are calling for the establishment of war and economic crimes court in the country.