“Weah Was Wicked to the Doe Family” ….James Salinsa Debbah Blasts Former Pres. Weah for “Paying Good with Evil

Liberian football legend and former national team coach, James Salinsa Debbah, has launched a scathing critique of former President George Manneh Weah, accusing him of repaying kindness with cruelty toward the family of late President Samuel K. Doe, especially the late First Lady Nancy B. Doe.

Speaking during a candid appearance on “The Class Reloaded”, a popular radio program in Monrovia, Debbah expressed deep disappointment over what he described as Weah’s deliberate neglect of the Doe family throughout his six-year presidency.

He termed Weah’s actions “total evil,” calling it a “stain on his legacy.”

“The way he treated the Doe family, especially Ma Nancy, was a total lack of respect,” Debbah said bluntly.

According to the football icon, the late Nancy B. Doe made several attempts to secure a meeting with President Weah to discuss unresolved legal and personal matters affecting the family, but her requests were repeatedly ignored.

Debbah’s remarks have rekindled public debate around transitional justice and national reconciliation, reopening long-held wounds tied to Liberia’s turbulent political history.

President Samuel K. Doe, who ruled Liberia from 1980 until his brutal assassination in 1990, remains a divisive figure. Yet his family has continued to push for justice and recognition, particularly in relation to alleged violations during and after his presidency.

Debbah further claimed that the Weah administration failed to honor a ruling by the ECOWAS Court, which granted the Doe family legal redress and compensation. He suggested there may have even been attempts to obstruct the legal process.

“The Doe family wasn’t begging for handouts. They were asking for justice and dignity. Even that was denied under George Weah’s leadership,” Debbah asserted.

The fallout between Debbah and Weah is especially notable due to their shared legacy as former teammates on the national football team, once celebrated as icons of Liberia’s golden generation in international soccer.

While they reconciled publicly in 2022 after years of personal and political tension, Debbah’s latest comments suggest unresolved grievances linger.

Political observers have interpreted the remarks as more than a personal indictment.

According to one Monrovia-based analyst, the statement touches a national nerve: “This isn’t just about the Doe family. It’s about how Liberia treats those tied to its complex past controversial or not. Justice cannot be selective.”

Nancy B. Doe passed away in May 2025 with several of her public grievances unaddressed. For many, her death without receiving an audience with a president she once supported symbolized a deeper national failure to reconcile past political wounds.

Debbah’s critique has ignited renewed public calls for accountability, reconciliation, and inclusive justice.

His voice joins a growing chorus of citizens urging the current Boakai administration to break the cycle of political silence and address Liberia’s unfinished post-conflict healing.

“Liberia cannot move forward if we keep rewriting or ignoring the pain of our past,” Debbah warned.

The country continues to reflect on its fragile peace and democratic journey, the treatment of legacy families like the Does may come to define how committed Liberia’s leaders truly are to justice, dignity, and national unity.