"Examining Claims: Were Female Ministers Laid Off by President Boakai?"

 

Claim: “President Joseph Boakai Dismisses Defense and Commerce Ministers”

Source: Women’s TV, an online media house

Verdict: Misleading; George and Dagoseh were not dismissed. Government communication says both women are to be reassigned to other posts.

Full Text: A Facebook post circulating widely this week claims that President Joseph Nyuma Boakai, Sr., “dismissed” two female cabinet officials, Defense Minister Geraldine J. George and Commerce and Industry Minister Magdalene E. Dagoseh, as part of a government reshuffle announced on September 11, 2026.

The post frames the changes as firings, a claim that has fueled concern online about the treatment of the two women, who hold two of the most senior posts ever occupied by women in a Liberian cabinet.

Verification: The Stage Media Liberia reviewed the official communication from the Executive Mansion, announcing the changes. Nowhere does it say the two ministers were dismissed. Instead, it states that both “outgoing” ministers “are to be reassigned” to other government positions.

This is confirmed by the Executive Mansion’s own press release, which lists Cllr. Oswald Natu Tweh as Acting Minister of National Defense in place of George and Stephen Marka Yekeson, Jr., as Acting Minister of Commerce and Industry in place of Dagoseh. Both outgoing ministers are described the same way: “to be reassigned.”

Independent Liberian outlets that covered the reshuffle used the same language. FrontPageAfrica reported that “Both George and Dagoseh will be reassigned to other government positions.” The Liberian Observer and Smart News Liberia reported the same, with no mention of dismissal or termination.

As of publication, the Executive Mansion had not announced the new positions George and Dagoseh will move into. That gap has left room for speculation, and a coalition of Liberian women’s rights groups has publicly urged Boakai to promptly name their new posts. That call is about the pace and transparency of the reassignment; it is not a claim that the two women lost their jobs outright.

George, a retired brigadier general, made history in April 2024 as Liberia’s first female Minister of National Defense. Dagoseh had led the Ministry of Commerce and Industry since 2024. Neither has publicly disputed the reassignment or claimed she was dismissed.

Mikel Carr, a policy analyst, said there is a difference between reshuffled and dismissed, adding that the two females were not dismissed but are expected to be reassigned.
"*1. Reshuffle—You are still in, just moved.*

- You are NOT fired.

- You are moved from one position to another.

- Example: A Minister of Education reshuffled to become Minister of Health. He is still a minister, just in a different ministry.

It's like rearranging players on a football team. You are still on the team, just playing a different position.

*2. Dismissed—You are out completely*

- You ARE fired/sacked.

- You lose the job entirely and have no position in government or company anymore.

- Example: A Minister is dismissed for misconduct. He is no longer a minister at all. It's like being sent off the pitch. You are no longer in the game.

Conclusion: The claim that President Boakai “dismissed” Geraldine J. George and Magdalene E. Dagoseh is misleading. The Executive Mansion’s own statement, corroborated by multiple independent outlets, says the two women are being reassigned to other government positions, not removed from government. Until their new roles are announced, The Stage Media Liberia advises the public to treat claims of “dismissal” with caution and rely on the Executive Mansion’s official communication for updates.