IPNEWS: Since crisis at the Lower House of the Liberian Legislature emerged early October 2024, many had pointed fingers at President Joseph Boakai, in connection with some members of the Legislature (Both in House & Senate) for the removal of Speaker Fonati Koffa.
Speaker Koffa while on a short break to Philadelphia, U.S.A., as Guest Speaker for the Association of Liberian Journalist in the Americas (ALJA), Speaker Fonati Koffa, cut short his trip to the United States of America (USA) to join President Joseph N. Boakai, Sr., in Rome, Italy, to attend the World Food Forum at the request of President Boakia.
The Honorable Speaker, immediately after delivering the keynote address at the 12th National Convention of the Association of Liberian Journalists (ALJA) in Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, USA, departed for Rome, Italy.
While with President Boakai, on Thursday, October 17, a group of renegade lawmakers attempted to remove House Speaker J. Fonati Koffa, but their efforts were met with strong resistance from pro-Koffa lawmakers, resulting in violence and chaos.
The joint chamber erupted into pandemonium as rival groups clashed. A group of lawmakers had signed a purported resolution to remove Speaker Koffa from office, accusing him of serving as legal counsel for major concessionaires in Liberia, a move they claim violates the Constitution.
The lawmakers came from various political parties, including the ruling Unity Party and the Coalition for Democratic Change (CDC), to which Speaker Koffa belongs. The petition was read by Rep. Nyan Flomo (District #2, Nimba County) outside the Capitol Building, after the chamber was shut down by pro-Koffa lawmakers led by Rep. Marvin Cole.
The situation brought surprises to many, especially at a time when the Speaker was on an official duty with President Boakai.
Many accused President Boakai of being the mastermind for a final Koffa finished by inviting him to travel to Italy.
Speaker Koffa, who was in Rome on an official visit as part of a delegation led by President Joseph Boakai, cut short his trip back to Liberia.
Back in Monrovia, President Joseph Nyuma Boakai categorically rejected links to plot on Capitol Hill to remove House Speaker, Honorable J. Fonati Koffa.
The government describes as preposterous, disgraceful and unfounded accusations by the leader of the Coalition for Democratic Change (CDC), Mr. George Weah, that it is funding such a scheme.
We believe that the purported plot to remove Speaker Koffa from his leadership role looks more like an internal power struggle within the CDC orchestrated by Mr. Weah. This is why Mr. Weah has been quick to deflect attention from himself to the Boakai-led Government.
“Mr. Weah is noted for fighting proxy battles against prominent leaders within the CDC so as to cement himself as the party’s demigod rather than allow others to gain political prominence. It is our thinking that Mr. Koffa’s confident leadership style scares Mr. Weah; and that the emergence of other principled leaders within the CDC that will take away complete allegiance from the former President always faces such challenge,” said Acting Information Minister Daniel Sando.
“To insinuate that the Government is using public monies to influence the purported actions on Capitol Hill to remove the Speaker, as Mr. Weah has done, speaks to the depraved mentality of the former President,” Minister Sando stated.
https://googleads.g.doubleclick.net/pagead/ads?gdpr=0&us_privacy=1—&gpp_sid=-1&client=ca-pub-9948849170451283&output=html&h=280&slotname=3910281619&adk=453051087&adf=3551500961&pi=t.ma~as.3910281619&w=816&abgtt=6&fwrn=4&fwrnh=100&lmt=1735226337&rafmt=1&format=816×280&url=https%3A%2F%2Fsmartnewsliberia.com%2Fgol-denies-involvement-in-alleged-plot-to-oust-house-speaker-fonati-koffa%2F&fwr=0&fwrattr=true&rpe=1&resp_fmts=3&wgl=1&uach=WyJXaW5kb3dzIiwiMTUuMC4wIiwieDg2IiwiIiwiMTMxLjAuMjkwMy44NiIsbnVsbCwwLG51bGwsIjY0IixbWyJNaWNyb3NvZnQgRWRnZSIsIjEzMS4wLjI5MDMuODYiXSxbIkNocm9taXVtIiwiMTMxLjAuNjc3OC4xMDkiXSxbIk5vdF9BIEJyYW5kIiwiMjQuMC4wLjAiXV0sMF0.&dt=1735226335017&bpp=1&bdt=1622&idt=201&shv=r20241212&mjsv=m202412090101&ptt=9&saldr=aa&abxe=1&cookie=ID%3D9432ba8364c91e1f%3AT%3D1728037342%3ART%3D1735226337%3AS%3DALNI_MYw6N8NShakUuRruP6-FnFbXJH6Sw&gpic=UID%3D00000f23bf00ffd4%3AT%3D1728037342%3ART%3D1735226337%3AS%3DALNI_MaN07H_yowK5mOa1B9TCi7VTiw1kg&eo_id_str=ID%3D08fd8b74a20d83a5%3AT%3D1726727661%3ART%3D1735226337%3AS%3DAA-AfjYGB1ExAYKZgb2zyeh15s4C&prev_fmts=0x0%2C816x280%2C1217x596%2C816x280&nras=2&correlator=1821976573978&frm=20&pv=1&u_tz=0&u_his=16&u_h=720&u_w=1280&u_ah=672&u_aw=1280&u_cd=24&u_sd=1.5&dmc=8&adx=24&ady=3158&biw=1217&bih=596&scr_x=0&scr_y=1150&eid=31089323%2C31089326%2C31089329%2C31089340%2C95332584%2C95345967%2C95347432&oid=2&psts=AOrYGsmYkdrTJqS7YjkFgEcKfHUqqm_36EQMysZ3PUqZb5CNecF3cqbOg8Gt6yYz_NyazGnBrweXrSl_4SYTNEo9Ws2VgzY&pvsid=2451496203567677&tmod=1402481498&wsm=1&uas=3&nvt=1&ref=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.google.com%2F&fc=1920&brdim=0%2C0%2C0%2C0%2C1280%2C0%2C1280%2C672%2C1232%2C596&vis=1&rsz=%7C%7CoEebr%7C&abl=CS&pfx=0&fu=128&bc=31&bz=1.04&td=1&tdf=2&psd=W251bGwsbnVsbCxudWxsLDNd&nt=1&ifi=4&uci=a!4&btvi=3&fsb=1&dtd=2877 The government reiterates that it is focused on delivering for the Liberian people. The people were rescued from Mr. Weah, and we remain committed to delivering for them the ARREST Agenda.
The government will not be distracted by the former President’s continuous mudslinging and incendiary comments.
In a swift reaction, the opposition Congress for Democratic Change (CDC) has accused the ruling Unity Party (UP) of allegedly manipulating members of the House of Representatives into ousting House Speaker J Fonati Koffa.
The CDC condemns the alleged abortive attempt by President Joseph Nyuma Boakai’s Unity Party administration to criminally manipulate lawmakers to oust Speaker Koffa.
“The CDC notes that this is the third abortive orchestration at removing Speaker Koffa since the UP lost the bid for Speakership in January 2024,” a statement dated 20 October under the signature of CDC chairman Atty. Janga A. Kowo said.
The party vehemently condemned the Unity Party, accusing the ruling party of allegedly abusing public resources to bribe lawmakers into instigating a legislative coup against the Speaker.
The party claimed that since the commencement of school in September this year, tens of thousands of Liberians do not have money to enroll their children due to extreme economic hardship.
The immediate past ruling party argued that the UP Government is struggling to pay Government workers on time.
The CDC also alleged that the UP Government has been unable to make payments for goods and services to Government ministries and agencies.
It also accused the government of not identifying the resources required to increase civil servant salaries to pre-Harmonization levels, if this is ever possible.
In the midst of these allegations, the CDC noted that the dishing out of more than US$ 1.2 million … is at best a flagrant disregard and disrespect for public outrage against corruption.
At worst, the CDC described it as a criminal conspiracy worthy of
a serious investigation by the Liberia Anti-Corruption Commission (LACC) and the Ministry of Justice (MoJ).
“The CDC observes that the Unity Party’s unending quest to capture the Speakership at ALL AND ANY COST betrays its abhorrence of the critical democratic balance now existing at the legislature in which the ruling party heads the Senate, and an opposition party leads the House of Representatives,” the statement said.
The CDC notes that such balance is an established feature in mature democracies.
It suggested that it must be ensconced and maintained in the crucible of legislative politics if the country is to pursue and achieve critical public interests and goals germane to the fight against corruption.
The CDC enjoined all members of the national opposition community the responsibility to support its call to rally to the defense of Speaker Koffa.
“As members of Liberia’s opposition sworn to uphold the public trust by keeping the Government’s feet to the fire, the surest way of upholding such public trust is to maintain legislative parity in the crafting of the National Budget and the oversight of budget execution,” the opposition party noted.
It contended that Liberians in 2023 voted for this outcome to ensure the ruling party did not have the numerical advantage to control both Houses of the legislature.
“Let us not, as members of the opposition community, countenance the illicit age-old and die-hard practice of exerting the influence of the ‘imperial presidency’ to subvert the electoral wishes of our people for legislative equilibrium by illegally wasting public money on lawmakers. This moment requires our collective outrage!”
To the CDC lawmakers whose signatures were seen on the resolution to unseat the Speaker, the CDC called on them to submit to the party’s mandate and the wishes of its partisans to stand with the Speaker.
“To the extent, there are differences and divergences of viewpoints or perspectives impinging on the supposed actions or behavior of the speaker or his performance, we must repair to the institutional mechanisms of the CDC Legislative Caucus and the National Executive Committee to address such matters,” the statement continued.
The CDC believes it should never be a party to restoring the historical gargoyle of the imperial presidency by undoing itself.
To address these grave national concerns, the CDC said it will convene a major meeting at noon on Monday, October 21, at its headquarters
Now, three months running down the road, Senator Snowe’s recent criticism of the Liberian Senate has caused quite a stir in many political circles.
The Bomi County Senator not mincing his words, accused the Senate of being an “extension of the Executive Branch” and failing to fulfill its duties.
He even pointed the finger at President Joseph Boakai’s administration for the ongoing crisis at the House of Representatives.
“ The Senate is weak and not acting independently, causing a deadlock in the House and slowing down progress in the government. ECOWAS is not going to waste her time here resolving any crisis, because we don’t know what we want.” Senator Snowe stated in a interview.
Snowe’s statement has sent out a new waves of uncertainties in the political circles as all eyes remains on the Supreme Court of Liberia for its ruling in the Bill of Information filed by Lawyers representing Speaker Johanthan Fonati Koffa.
It may be recalled, the ongoing situation at the Lower House turned when one of the dissenting lawmakers, Rep. Luther Collins (Gbarpolu County), confessed that he and other signatories were bribed with US$25,000 each to support the resolution, with US$15,000 paid upfront. Displaying a large sum of cash in a video, Rep. Collins said he joined the group only to expose their corrupt plan. He claimed no intention of supporting the Speaker’s removal.
In the video, an aide who joined Collins referred to the anti-Koffa lawmakers as “rebels,” further revealing that the plan was orchestrated by Hon. Thomas Fallah and Vice President Jeremiah Koung, who opposed an audit initiated by Speaker Koffa. The aide said, “This is the rebel group listing. We were called by them to make sure that Hon. Luther (Collins) signed on the listing and they were able to give him 15,000USD. Based upon that, we arrived on the scene and found them and were able to get the listing from them. They gave each person US$15000 at the end of the day after the process they gave you the balance 10,000USD. This is the list of lawmakers that signed to illegally remove the Speaker. This is the money and Rep. [James] Kolleh took US$200 from it… This has been sponsored by Hon. Thomas Fallah and VP Jeremiah Koung. They are against the audit of the House.”
The bribery allegations led to further withdrawals of support. Rep. Thomas Goshua (District #5, Grand Bassa County) publicly withdrew his signature, citing the Speaker’s efforts to audit the House of Representatives as the real reason behind the push for his removal. “This audit is a crucial step toward transparency and accountability,” Rep. Goshua said.
Rep. Prescilla Abram Cooper (District #5, Montserrado County) also withdrew her support, stating that when she signed the petition, she believed due process would be followed. However, the events that unfolded were far from honorable. “I cannot be part of any hostile takeover, especially with rumors of bribery,” she said in a Facebook post.
Members of the House of Representatives have the rights and legal powers to remove a speaker … but for “cause”, after “due process of law.’ But when said removal process is marred by alleged bribery, and said “bribery” is exposed as seen in this video, then it calls for criminal investigation by the Justice Ministry and or the Liberia Anti-Corruption Commission to authenticate the veracity of the “bribery” claim… As a Senator and a citizen, I am concerned about the “bribery” claim that runs afoul of our laws. It is a criminal allegation against the STATE. Darius Abraham Dillon, Senator, Montserrado County
Rep. Cooper stressed her commitment to good governance, legislative oversight, and transparency, adding that she is disassociating herself from the resolution.
She said: “I’m as bold as can be, I stand up to anyone without fear or favor but when there are procedures to follow, those steps must be taken. Therefore, in view of the aforementioned, I Hon.Prescilla Abram Cooper, Representative of Electoral District #5, Montserrado County, do hereby officially withdraw my signature from the petition to effectuate the removal of Hon.Cllr J. Fonatee Koffa as Speaker of the 55th Liberia Legislature.”
Earlier, report gathered that efforts to unseat Speaker Koffa was allegedly led by Deputy Speaker Thomas Fallah, Senator Prince Moye, and Vice President Jeremiah Koung. The push to oust the Speaker is reportedly linked to his insistence on auditing the House’s financial management.
Despite these allegations, Deputy Speaker Fallah denied any involvement in the scheme and maintained that his relationship with Speaker Koffa remains amicable. He attributed the growing tensions to misinformation within the CDC opposition and called for peaceful resolution of internal party disputes, but surpassingly join the ‘majority bloc’ and begin its presiding officer.
Following Rep. Collins’ shocking confession, calls for an investigation into the alleged bribery have intensified. Senator Darius Dillon voiced his concerns on Facebook, stating that while lawmakers have the right to choose their leaders, the bribery allegations must be investigated.
This is the rebel group listing. We were call by them to make sure that Hon. Luther (Collins) sign on the listing and they were able to give him 15,000USD. Based upon that, we arrived on the scene and found them and were able to get the listing from them. They gave each person US$15000 at the end of the day after the process they give you the balance 10,000USD. This is the list of lawmakers that signed to illegally removed the Speaker. This is the money and Rep. [James] Kolleh took US$200 from it… This has been sponsored by Hon. Thomas Fallah and VP Jeremiah Koung. They are against the audit of the House.
Staff of Representative Luther Collins
“Members of the House of Representatives have the right to remove a Speaker, but when the process is marred by bribery, it becomes a criminal issue,” said Senator Dillon. He urged the Ministry of Justice and the Liberia Anti-Corruption Commission to investigate the claims.
Many Liberians have expressed outrage over the alleged bribery, calling for further investigation and potential sanctions for those involved. On social media, some are urging the United States to intervene and take action against any lawmakers implicated in the scandal.
History of Speaker Removal
This is not the first time lawmakers have sought to remove a Speaker from office. In January 2007, Speaker Edwin Melvin Snowe was removed following bribery allegations, but the Supreme Court later reinstated him, ruling that the removal was unconstitutional.
Similarly, in 2016, Speaker Alex J. Tyler was ousted after 49 members of the House of Representatives signed a resolution calling for his removal. The current House of Representatives has 73 members, and a two-thirds majority (49 lawmakers) is required to remove the Speaker under Article 49 of the Liberian Constitution.
