In a turn of events at Liberia’s recent inauguration ceremony, President Joseph Boakai experienced a heat stroke while delivering his inauguration speech. The incident, which occurred on Monday, led to the ceremony’s abrupt conclusion, as the 79-year-old leader was assisted off the podium.
President Boakai, who emerged victorious in a runoff election against George Weah in November, took the oath of office during an outdoor ceremony in Monrovia, the capital of Liberia. The sweltering heat during the event became a significant challenge, leading to the president’s health concerns.
While details of the situation were reported by local media and Reuters, President Boakai’s spokesman, Mohammed Ali, assured the public that the leader had been stabilized. He attributed the incident to the high temperatures, stating,
“It is the heat. The heat was high. They should have had some fan or something around there. At his age, the exhaustion happened. But it is okay now.”
During his inauguration speech, President Boakai paused, prompting aides to provide assistance. He continued for a few more minutes before halting again, leading to his departure from the podium.
The ceremony, although cut short, had already seen President Boakai taking the oath of office.
Concerns about the president’s age and energy had been raised by some opponents during the election campaign.
However, Boakai’s team dismissed these criticisms. While the inauguration ceremony faced an unexpected interruption, officials proceeded with a planned lunch, with the president’s whereabouts remaining unclear in the immediate aftermath.