By: Barclay Karnley Jr
MONROVIA: The Alternative National Congress (ANC), has threatened to file a lawsuit against members of the self-styled: ‘Majority Bloc’ at the House of Representatives who are demanding the resignation of House Speaker, Cllr. Jonathan Fonati Koffa, if they receive pay checks for the Month of October, 2024.
According to ANC, the ‘majority bloc’ Legislators used the month of October 2024 to campaign for the removal of House Speaker, Cllr. Jonathan Fonati Koffa, without them doing the work of the Liberian people for which they were elected.
ANC pointed out that members of the majority bloc are not to receive any salaries for the month of October because they never worked for the Liberian Nation.
Disclosing this in an interview to reporters on the grounds of the Temple of Justice on Capitol Hill in Monrovia, after the conferencing hearing by both parties of the House of Representatives on Monday, November 4, 2024, the Chairman of the Alternative National Congress (ANC), Cllr. Horatio Lafayette Gould, said members of majority bloc seeking the removal of Speaker Koffa have not been effective in doing the Liberian people job for the last one Month.
According to him, those seeking the removal of the House Speaker have neglected their roles and responsibilities at the Legislature for the last one month, stating that any attempt for them to be paid for the month of October, 2024, would amount to “Broad-Day Robbery” of tax payers money in the Country.
“They are robbers and we will file a lawsuit against them for stealing from the Liberian people, this is illegal, you did not go to work, you sat yourself down and say you’re protesting and refusing to do the Liberian people job and you want pay checks? This is illegal and a broad day robbery,” the ANC Chairman asserted.
He maintained that Lawmakers seeking the removal of the House Speaker should have completed all of the legal processes before demanding the resignation of the speaker but they failed to do so and have abandoned their work and now want to get paid.
It can the recalled the House of Representatives has been engulfed in an internal wrangling with at forty-seven (43) Representatives signing a resolution for the removal of House Speaker, Cllr. J. Fonati Koffa.
The group cited numerous allegations of corruption and conflict of interest against Speaker Koffa, claims which Speaker Koffa has rejected.
At least forty-three (43) of the Lawmakers who signed the resolution for the removal of the Speaker have separately conducted sessions at the joint chambers of the Legislature.
They claim Speaker Koffa has lost the gavel and they assembled at the Main Chamber of the House of Representatives, where Speaker Koffa is presiding.
The continue stalemate at the House of Representatives has impeded the working of the Legislature, leading to the extension for the submission of the 2025 draft National Budget by the Executive Branch through the Ministry of Finance and Development Planning.
The current standoff at the Legislature, especially the House of Representatives prompted Justice Yarmie Gbiesay Quiqui to conduct a conference in the matter that was brought to the Supreme Court by the House Speaker Koffa.
The Justice in Chambers conference which was held on Monday, 04 November 2024, instructed members of the Majority Bloc who are seeking the removal of the Speaker to begin the process of removal in accordance with due process.
