Monrovia – The funeral of former First Lady Nancy B. Doe, widow of slain President Samuel Kanyon Doe, has taken an unexpected turn, erupting into a controversy that has shaken the Doe family.
By Selma Lomax [email protected]
At the center of the controversy is Nancy Doe’s daughter, Veronica “Mamie” Doe, whose firm stance against accepting a funeral donation from former President George Weah has sparked outrage both within her family and across Liberia.
The donation — consisting of two cows, 50 bags of rice, and assorted funeral items — was sent to the Doe family compound in Monrovia after Weah personally visited the grieving family following the former First Lady’s passing on May 21.
His visit was reportedly emotional and supportive. A video circulating online shows family members pleading for assistance, specifically requesting a cow from the former President. Weah obliged, and the following day, the donation was delivered as a traditional condolence gesture.
However, the donation was turned away under the orders of Mamie Doe. “I don’t want these things. Let them take it back to CDC,” she reportedly told aides and family members, referencing Weah’s political party, the Congress for Democratic Change. The items were loaded back onto the vehicle and sent away, only to be returned a second time and rejected again by Mamie.
This act of refusal, considered culturally taboo in Liberian society, quickly went viral and drew heavy criticism. Videos taken at the family’s compound captured visibly angry relatives berating Mamie Doe for her decision. One elder woman was heard shouting, “If she wants to act like she alone own Ma Nancy, then your one will bury your ma!”
The backlash extended beyond the household. Traditional elders from Tuzon, Grand Gedeh County — home of the Doe family — swiftly intervened to contain the fallout. Led by former Grand Gedeh Senator and current diplomat Isaac Nyenebo, a delegation traveled to meet with former President Weah. At the meeting, the elders reportedly expressed remorse on behalf of the family and Grand Gedeh community, apologizing for what they described as a “disrespectful act” by Mamie Doe.
“We have come with humility to apologize to former President Weah for what transpired,” Nyenebo told reporters. “The behavior of Madam Veronica Doe does not reflect who we are as a people.” They formally accepted the donation on behalf of the people of Grand Gedeh and announced that it would be used appropriately to support the funeral process.
This diplomatic gesture, however, did not ease tensions at the family compound. Many family members expressed their deep disappointment, accusing Mamie Doe of using her mother’s death to settle political scores.
Some relatives, speaking on condition of anonymity, claimed that Mamie Doe had always been outspoken about how her mother had been treated by successive Liberian governments. Nancy Doe, they said, had long felt neglected — left without full access to her late husband’s properties or state benefits that should have been due to her as a former First Lady.
In fact, Nancy Doe had gone public in previous years, lamenting how both the administrations of Ellen Johnson Sirleaf and George Weah had failed to provide her the recognition and compensation she believed she was owed. According to family insiders, these unresolved grievances weighed heavily on Mamie Doe, who watched her mother struggle in silence for decades.
A close friend of the family told the media, “Mamie Doe is not doing this just to be rebellious. She’s carrying years of hurt — watching her mother suffer, watching the family’s legacy be ignored and erased. To her, this is not a gift. It’s a mockery.”
But for many Liberians and members of the Doe family, Mamie Doe’s action was seen less as an act of justice and more as a serious breach of cultural tradition.
In Liberia, funeral donations — especially from national figures — are considered symbols of respect, community, and peace. Rejecting such a donation, especially twice, is viewed by many as a grave insult and a rejection of collective mourning customs that have long governed Liberian society.
To further defuse tensions, Ambassador Nyenebo returned to the Doe compound shortly after the second rejection and intervened again as the cow and rice were being reloaded for return. He instructed that the items be offloaded and declared that the women of Grand Gedeh would accept the donation on behalf of the people.
Despite Mamie Doe’s visible frustration, he maintained that the donation should not be wasted, and that Nancy Doe’s memory deserved honor without being tainted by ongoing family discord.
The government has also stepped in to express solidarity. Vice President Jeremiah Koung and President Joseph Boakai both visited the Doe family to pay their respects. President Boakai even proposed that slain President Samuel K. Doe be reburied alongside his wife, Nancy, as a gesture of national reconciliation and historical respect.
However, the family has not yet officially responded to this proposal, and it remains unclear whether Mamie and her siblings will agree.
As the country prepares for what should be a national farewell to one of its former First Ladies, the events surrounding Nancy Doe’s funeral have turned into a cautionary tale about how history, politics, and personal pain can erupt into public conflict.