MONROVIA, Aug. 4, 2026 – Former Vice President Jewel Howard-Taylor has dismissed as “completely false and disrespectful” allegations made by former Representative Yekeh Kolubah regarding President Joseph Nyuma Boakai’s condolence visit following the death of her son, Charles Neilson Philip Taylor IV.
In a statement posted on her official Facebook page, Howard-Taylor described Kolubah’s claims as fabricated and called on him to retract the statement and issue a public apology.
She said President Boakai conducted himself with dignity throughout the condolence visit and insisted that no disrespectful incident occurred.
According to the former Vice President, the allegation insults not only the Office of the President but also the memory of her late son and the period of mourning observed by her family.
Howard-Taylor noted that President Boakai’s visit was one of many gestures of compassion extended by Liberians from different political parties, religious backgrounds, and communities who came to console her family during its time of grief.
She also used the statement to criticize what she described as a growing culture of misinformation, character assassination, and the politicization of national leaders for partisan gain.
According to her, such conduct undermines public confidence in state institutions and weakens Liberia’s democratic values.
“As a former Vice President of the Republic of Liberia, former First Lady, former Senator, and a lifelong servant of the Liberian people, I have always believed that our democracy is strengthened when we protect the dignity of our national institutions and treat one another with decency, even in moments of political disagreement,” she wrote.
Howard-Taylor maintained that political differences should never justify the deliberate spread of false information, particularly during moments of grief and compassion.
She said Liberia deserves leaders committed to truth, integrity, mutual respect, and responsible public conduct.
Calling the allegation “malicious and unfounded,” Howard-Taylor urged Kolubah to immediately withdraw his statement and apologize to President Boakai, the Liberian people, and her family.
She concluded by encouraging Liberians to engage in political debate based on policies and ideas without sacrificing truth, decency, and respect, while calling for greater unity, civility, and national reconciliation.
