MONROVIA: Charismatic and influential House Speaker, Cllr. Jonathan Fonati Koffa, who just returned to Liberia from the United States and Rome, Italy, on official mission is expected to preside over the Plenary Session of the the Lower House of Liberia’s bicameral Legislature on Capitol Hill in Monrovia today, October 22, 2024.
The House Plenary is the highest-decision body of the august assembly.
Koffa’s return to the country coincided with widespread reports that some members of the Lower House of the 55th Legislature have planned to politically dethrone him from the influential House Speaker post.
However, addressing a media engagement at the Capitol Building on Monday, October 21, 2024, the embattled House Speaker has broken his silence regarding the recent attempts to remove him from office.
“The ongoing attempts to have me removed require a serious conversation with my aggrieved colleagues. We must come together to address these issues constructively,” Koffa told the news conference.
The Liberian House Speaker indicated that his call for negotiation is aligned with recommendations made by United States Ambassador to Liberia, Mark Toner, who stressed the importance of dialogue among Liberian lawmakers.
Koffa noted: “Engaging all parties involved both supporters and opponents is crucial for finding an amicable solution to this situation.”
The raging political leadership crisis in the Lower House of the Legislature intensified on October 17, 2024, when 47 lawmakers signed a Resolution, demanding Koffa’s ousting, alleging among others that Speaker Koffa, a top-lawyer, has been conflicted by engaging in consultancy deals with some companies.
Interestingly, by Sunday, the number of signatories to said Resolution reduced significantly to 38 as other Legislators said, they were initially misled by the purported leaders of the ‘Capitol Coup’ in affixing their respective signatures to the anti-Koffa Resolution.
Koffa acknowledged the concerns raised by his colleagues, stating: “I am committed to addressing the issues that have led to this unrest. Unity is essential, and we must focus on working for the people of Liberia.”
As the situation unfolds, the Speaker’s efforts to foster communication may play a pivotal role in stabilizing the 55th Legislature and restoring calm and order.
Last Thursday, the alleged ‘Capitol Coup Plotters,’ in the Lower House have already signed a ‘Vote-of-no Confidence’ Resolution against Koffa, an American trained barrister, who is inarguably, one of Liberia’s well-connected and powerful politicians.
He was recently invited to the USA by the Association of Liberian Journalists in the Americas (ALJA), where he served as a keynote speaker at program marking the association’s annual founding anniversary.
Later, Koffa, a noted adherent of the Catholic Church accepted a request from Liberia’s President, Joseph Nyuma Boakai, who was already in Rome to join him (President Boakai) for a formal meeting with Roman Catholic Church’s Pope Francis in the Vatican, Italy, where both President Boakai and Speaker Koffa met with the globally renowned Holy Father.
Following his return from the Vatican on Sunday, October 21, 2024, Speaker visited the Capitol, the seat of the Liberian Legislature on Monday, where he held talks with members of various groups in the Lower House as it relates to their respective concerns as contained in the Resolution to have him removed.
But a loyal ally of Speaker Koffa, Nimba County District#7 Representative, Musa Hassan Bility, expressed total disappointment and disdain about the anti-Koffa plot involving some of his legislative comrades.
Koffa was overwhelmingly elected Speaker of the Lower House of the 55th Legislature after serving admirably as Deputy House Speaker in the 54th National Legislature.
Representative Bility told a local radio station on Monday, October 21, 2024, that Speaker Koffa is prepared to meet face-to-face in the House Chambers with lawmakers wanting to have him removed from the House Speaker portfolio.
He added that the new majority bloc currently appears to lack the needed 2/3 majority support to unseat Speaker Koffa.
Reports say several of the alleged plotters to remove Koffa from the House Speakership have begun withdrawing from the rebellious process.
Among those who withdrew their respective signatures are Montserrado County District#-1 Representative, Rugia Barrie; Maryland County District#-3 Representative, Austin Taylor; Grand Bassa County District#5 Representative, Thomas Ghoshua; and Montserrado County District#-5 Representative Priscilla Cooper.
Meanwhile, all eyes will be focused on Capitol Hill today as members of the Lower House are expected to convene in the Chambers of the House of Representatives to determine the fate of Speaker Koffa.
