02/07/2025
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
PRESIDENT BOAKAI HONORS FORMER PRESIDENT WILLIAM R. TOLBERT, JR. AT SOLEMN MEMORIAL SERVICE
July 2, 2025
Executive Mansion, Monrovia –President Joseph Nyuma Boakai, Sr., on yesterday, led the nation in a solemn and dignified memorial service in honor of former President William Richard Tolbert, Jr., who was tragically killed along with other officials of government in a military coup d’état in April 1980.
Held at the historic Centennial Memorial Pavilion on Ashmun Street, the ceremony brought together national leaders, members of the clergy, diplomatic representatives, the Tolbert family, and other members of the families of victims of the coup and a cross-section of Liberians to pay tribute to the life, leadership, and legacy of Liberia’s 20th President.
In his statement, President Boakai described the late President Tolbert as “a statesman, a patriot, and a servant of the people,” who led Liberia during a period of profound transition and whose bold vision for national development, social justice, and Pan-African unity continues to resonate today.
“President Tolbert was a man of deep conviction and immense discipline,” President Boakai said, adding, “A Baptist preacher by calling and a statesman by duty, he brought to the presidency a sense of moral clarity and a deep commitment to building a nation where all Liberians could find dignity in their citizenship.”
The Liberian Leader emphasized that the memorial was not a mere ceremonial gesture but an “act of national conscience” aimed at restoring dignity, acknowledging historical wrongs, and reaffirming the nation’s commitment to truth, justice, and reconciliation.
President Boakai highlighted the importance of learning from Liberia’s painful past—marked by historic injustices, coups, and civil conflict—while drawing strength from the resilience and patriotism of its people.
“To the Tolbert family, I extend the deepest sympathy of a grateful nation,” President Boakai said, acknowledging, “Your lives of tolerance have been irreproachable and magnanimous.”
He further urged all Liberians to honor President Tolbert’s legacy not only through remembrance but through a recommitment to unity, peace, and purposeful national healing.
“Let this memorial serve as a powerful reminder that history must not be forgotten and that reconciliation must be pursued not out of convenience but out of conviction,” President Boakai urged.
The memorial is part of the Boakai Administration’s broader national agenda for reconciliation, remembrance, and inclusive nation-building, as articulated in the President’s inaugural address and subsequent public commitments.
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