MONROVIA: Bong County Senator, Prince K. Moye, has categorically denied his involvement in the alleged conspiracy to remove Jonatan Fonati Koffa, as Speaker of the House of Representatives.
It can be recalled, some members of the House of Representatives, on Thursday, October 18, 2024, declared a vote of no confidence in House Speaker, Cllr. Fonati Koffa, through a Resolution.
The action of the lawmakers calling for the removal of Cllr. Kofa as speaker of the House of Representatives has sparked serious concern with accusing fingers pointed at some members of the CDC, Unity Party including Senator Prince Moye of Bong County for allegedly sponsoring the removal of the House Speaker.
But, reacting to accusation of his involvement in said plot, the Senate Ways, Means, Finance and Budget Committee Chairman, indicated that it is unfortunate that some Lawmakers in the House of Representatives will be pointing accusing fingers at him for sponsoring the removal of Speaker Koffa because he and others are against a proposed audit of the House.
Senator Moye asserted that the government he vigorously fought to bring to power campaigned on a platform of transparency and accountability, therefore, it is unthinkable for him to resist or be against any audit.
The Bong County Lawmaker used the occasion to challenge the House’s Leadership to muster the courage and conduct an audit for past and present Leaders of the House of Representatives.
According to Senator Moye, he served on the House’s Committee as Chairman on Ways, Means, Finance and Budget for one year and three months, which witnessed the House of Representatives consistent with what was appropriated.
“Go back and audit the House and you will see who are the real people, don’t come here and be crying,” Senator Moye Asserted.
Additionally, Senator Moye disclosed that when he served as Deputy Speaker for three years, his budget didn’t exceed a million United States Dollars.
He mentioned that when he won and became Senator in 2021, it is when the Deputy Speaker, J. Fonati Koffa’s budget began to climb over one million and with an outturn of over four million after an allotment of one million in 2023.
The Bong County Lawmaker further noted that the action of the Deputy Speaker, now, Speaker of the House of Representatives, require real auditing of the House of Representatives.
“We have taken the initiative at the Senate to do an audit, so, be man enough to do the same, then to be scapegoating people here. What stopped the GAC from auditing since February? I know somebody saw their physical outturn of 2023 in their budget book with US$ 4 million, that is not in hidden, so they got afraid, because there is no justification or how did you manage for this money to pass through your account?
Moye called on those pointing accusing fingers at him to rather focus on the real issues raised in the Resolution by their colleagues so as to address those concerns instead of blaming others.
However, in a statement issued in Monrovia recently, a group, calling itself, “House of Representatives Majority Block,” made a number of allegations against Speaker Koffa.
Addressing a recent news conference at the Capitol, in Monrovia, the group, which named Nimba County Representative, Samuel Kogar as its Chairman; Representative Sekou Kanneh, Co-Chairman; and Representative Marcus Thomas as Secretary General said its call for Koffa’s removal as Speaker of the House of Representatives stems from his alleged failure to discharge his duties in a manner that is fair, proper, and impartial.
The group claims Speaker Koffa submitted a list of three Representatives to the 6th Legislature of the ECOWAS Parliament on February 7, 2024, without conducting the required election and that this deliberate action misled the regional body, and violated the procedures, casting a shadow on Liberia’s representation.
The group further alleged that while serving as Speaker, Koffa continues to act as a lead consultant and legal advisor for various government agencies, co0ncessions and private companies including Liberia Petroleum Refining Company (LPRC), Liberia Maritime Authority (LMA), and the National Fisheries and Aqua-culture Authority, all of which fall under the oversight of the House of Representatives he presides over.
The group further claims that a detailed review of the 2022 and 2023 budget overturn reveals that Speaker Koffa, during his tenure as Deputy Speaker, manipulated the budget to divert millions of dollars to his office. In 2022, while the Legislature approved US$1.5 million for his office, Koffa received US$6.5 million in cash by the end of that fiscal year. Similarly, in 2023, his office was allotted US$1.1milion, yet, he received and collected US$4.1 million in cash again, for himself.
Over the course of these two fiscal years, his office was allotted US$2.6 million, but he pocketed a total of 9.7 million that was not legitimately allocated to him but yet to be accounted for by the speaker.
Although Speaker Koffa did not confirm or deny the group’s allegations, upon his return to Liberia from the United States and Rome, Italy, on official mission, he 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.
