Liberian President Boakai's Spokesman Confirms Heat Exhaustion Incident at Inauguration

Liberia's newly elected President, Joseph Boakai, was declared "perfectly fine" by his doctors after he experienced difficulties during his inauguration speech. The 79-year-old was unable to complete his speech and had to be assisted away from the podium during the swearing-in ceremony. His office initially stated that he suffered from heat exhaustion but has now resumed his regular activities. Concerns over Boakai's health were prominent during the election campaign, where he narrowly defeated outgoing president George Weah. Despite the interruption during his speech, Boakai was officially sworn in as the oldest president in Liberia's history. Video footage showed a man fanning papers near Boakai's face before he was escorted away. An official affirmed that Boakai did not require hospitalization and assured the public that the president is doing well. Before his speech was cut short, Boakai promised to address economic challenges, corruption, and improve basic services for all Liberians. Boakai previously served as vice-president under Nobel Peace Prize-winner Ellen Johnson Sirleaf's administration until 2018 and ran for the presidency in 2017 but lost to Weah.