Monrovia-What really killed Mr. Cletus Noah remains the baffling question on the minds of many Liberians especially his relatives, friends and colleagues as family members and friends continue to mourn his untimely demise.
The former Chief of Staff to former Finance and Planning Development Minister Samuel D. Tweah, Cletus T. Noah died on Saturday, May 3, 2025, at the St. Joseph Catholic Hospital. Since his death, many have been wondering as to what led to his sudden demise. The cause of his death is yet to be established though initial reports have suggested hypertension.
However, sources closed to Mr. Noah’s family have dismissed those claims attributing his death to food poisoning. It is not clear as to where such alleged food poisoning occurred as claimed by sources closed to the Noah’s. The news of his passing reverberated across the country’s political and social landscape, trigging the outpouring of tributes on social media.
At the same time, former Finance and Development Planning Minister, Samuel D. Tweah Jr., has paid an emotional tribute to his longtime confidant and former Chief of Staff, Cletus T. Noah, who died on May 3. In a statement released on Tuesday, Tweah remembered Noah as a man of extraordinary humility, faith, and loyalty, describing him as a “kindred soul” and a “tireless force for change.” “Cletus T. Noah is dead. Bob Cle is gone. Skip is no more. Busted Bearing has ended his journey,” Tweah said, invoking the nicknames they shared from their student days at the University of Liberia.
Their friendship, which began in the late 1990s during their time as student activists, was built on shared ideals and political engagement. Tweah recounted Noah’s early involvement with the Student Democratic Alliance (STUDA), his later alignment with the Congress for Democratic Change (CDC), and his unwavering commitment to social and political transformation.
It is with deep sadness that we announce the passing of Cletus Noah, former Chief of Staff to the former Minister of Finance, Samuel Tweah. We extend our heartfelt condolences to his family and pray for their strength and well-being.
“He was never a bystander,” Tweah said. “He was always close to the inroads of history, movements or causes.”
A devout Catholic, Noah’s religious discipline also left a deep impression on Tweah. “I don’t believe he missed a single day of mass in nearly 30 years,” he noted. “That kind of commitment is a super-human force to change the world.”
Noah brought that commitment to his professional life, serving as Tweah’s Chief of Staff at the Ministry of Finance and Development Planning from 2018. Tweah credited him with helping guide critical policy discussions and navigating the Ministry through challenging reforms.
“Cletus was a lynchpin in our work at the Ministry,” he said. “He was the first to offer advice each morning, often before senior ministers arrived. His humility was his strength; his kindness, a gift; and his loyalty, a weapon.”
Tweah also reflected on Noah’s personal character — his devotion to his children and adopted family, his willingness to share his last dime with friends, and his natural ability to ease tension and bring people together.
He recounted a pivotal moment following a protest involving former President George Weah. Concerned about the state of the country, Noah asked Tweah if a different path could be taken. “Fix the system and deal with the consequences,” Noah had responded when Tweah laid out the administration’s reform agenda.
Tweah emphasized that although death has silenced Noah’s voice, his legacy endures. “While powerful in discontinuing life, death is impotent in annulling the impact of a life well lived,” he said. “To his wife and children, I say thank you for sharing a kindred soul with so many. The warm army of friends and colleagues he built will keep their arms around you.”
