79-year-old Liberia’s new President Joseph Boakai fails to complete inauguration speech due to health challenges

The inauguration of 79-year-old President of Liberia Joseph Boakai caused apprehension as he failed to reach the end of his inauguration speech and had to be helped away from the podium during his swearing-in ceremony on Monday.

Penpushing reports that Boakai had been speaking for around 30 minutes at the ceremony held at the Capitol Building, the seat of parliament in Monrovia, the country’s capital when his health suddenly failed him

The inauguration took a fearful dimension when it became clear that he was having difficulty continuing, hence, a man  started fanning papers near Boakai’s face, before he was taken away, but his office later said he had suffered heat exhaustion.

Penpushing further reports that it is recalled that Boakai’s health was a major issue during last year’s election campaign, while he remains the oldest Liberia ever- President to be sworn-in, while his predecessor Goerge Weah is the Liberia’s young-ever elected President of the country

The new President who was Vice-President in Nobel Peace Prize-winner Ellen Johnson Sirleaf’s government until 2018, before he was forced to cut short his speech pledged to rescue all Liberians from the tough economic times, address corruption and improve basic services.

Penpushing also reports that Boakai narrowly defeated the 57-year-old outgoing President Weah, a former football legend in a run-off election in November, 2023, and in reaction to his(Boakai) sudden failed health, an official said he was not taken to hospital.

The official from the President’s office Charles Snetter, however, in a statement said Doctors have declared him (Boakai) medicalLY fit, while in same vein, a member of the President’s party, Amos Tweh emphasized that the President was normal and doing well having resume office

Penpushing reports it is recalled that Boakai defeated his predecessor (Weah) by over 20,000 votes in the run-off poll, while he had earlier ran for the Presidency in 2017, but lost to Weah, who became Liberia’s young-ever elected president.

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