-47 HOR Members Vote to Remove Him from Office; As Former President Weah Accuses Boakai to Attempting to Oust the Speaker
Reports have emerged that at least 47 members of the House of Representatives have voted to remove House Speaker Jonathan Fonati Koffa from his post as the Speaker of the 55th Legislature, and they have also scheduled a new Speakership election for next Thursday, October 24th, 2024.
Earlier in the day, there were reports of fist fight that had erupted on Capitol Hill between lawmakers who are against and for the removal of the Speaker. Some lawmakers, who are still loyal to the Speaker have accused the Speaker’s deputy, Representative Thomas Fallah, of being behind the plot to unseat him. Deputy Speaker Fallah has, however, denied his involvement in the plot. The Vice President of Liberia is also being accused of supporting the removal. The Independent Probe can’t independently verify any of the allegations against both men.
Speaker Cllr. Koffa is at the moment out of Liberia on a national assignment along with President Joseph Nyuma Boakai.
While the hullabaloos on Capitol Hill were going down, former President George Weah released a statement in which in accused the President’s Administration of being behind the removal. The Executive Branch is yet to comment on the allegation of the former President.
“It has come to my attention that the Unity Party-led government under President Joseph Boakai is making a concerted and criminal effort to undermine our democratic and constitutional institutions by using ill-gotten funds from the National Coffers to influence the unjust removal of Speaker of the House, Honorable J. Fonati Koffa.
“This blatant act of political chicanery not only threatens the integrity of our constitutional legislative process but also sets a dangerous precedence for governance in our beloved nation.
“I want to make it unequivocally clear; such actions will not be tolerated. The attempt to manipulate the legislative branch for partisan gain is a direct affront to the principles of democracy and the will of the people,” the former President said.
According to him, Speaker Koffa has served with dedication and integrity, and any effort to remove him illegally under the guise of political expediency is a desperate and cowardly tactic that must be condemned by all who value the rule of law.
“To the members of the Coalition for Democratic Change (CDC) legislative caucus, I warn and urge you to stand firmly against this insidious plot. Do not allow yourselves to be swayed by pecuniary gains and the siren song of those who seek to destabilize our governance process for their own selfish interests. Participation in this scheme will not only betray the trust of your constituents but will also carry dire significant political consequences for your future within our party and in the eyes of the Liberian people.
We must remain steadfast in our commitment to democratic principles and the right of the people to choose their leaders without interference. Let us also remain vigilant and united in our resolve to protect our national institutions and defend the integrity of our democracy.”
Weighing in on the debate, Senator Abraham Darius Dillon, a staunch supporter of the President said the House’s members have the right to remove the Speaker. “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 authentic the veracity of the ‘bribery’ claim.
“Remember, bribery is a felony for which a lawmaker or any group of lawmakers can be arrested and prosecuted … even during Sessions of the Legislature. And in any bribery claim, there must be a ‘giver and a recipient’!”
One of the lawmakers, who said he is against the act of removing the Speaker, said that they are being “bribed” US$15,000 each to remove the Speaker. He shows cash in a video in which he said was given to him as bribe for the Speaker removal. He didn’t say who handed him the money.
On Tuesday, this newspaper broke the story that some “rebel lawmakers” had ganged up to remove the Speaker from his post. Some senators, too, were accused of being a part of the plot to oust the Speaker.
Some of the noticeable names from House included Representatives Ivan K. Jones, of Margibi, District No 2; Clarence G. Gahr, Margibi county, District No 5, Foday Fahnbulleh, Bong County, District No. 7; Rep. Dorwohn T. Galeekia, Nimba County, District No. 6; among others.
According to some breakaway ‘rebel’ lawmakers, who confided in IPNEWS, that an overnight meeting to execute the plan failed after members of the House could not reach quorum of 37 representatives out of a total of 73 in keeping with the Houses’ Standing Rules.
The rebel lawmakers, who were said to be less than 20, were allegedly being supported by the Executive Mansion, even though the Executive Mansion has not officially responded to an inquiry by IPNEWS.
According to the report, the rebel lawmakers’ are contenting that Speaker Koffa’s recent stance to expose the alteration of the budget which has been the normal trend among key and influential lawmakers over the last decade, may lead to the fall of some well-placed names on Capitol Hill.
The Legislative cartel comprising the notable names, are in conspiracy with some members of the Senate, who are opting Speaker Koffa’s removal due to blockade put in place by the current team on the Ways, Means and Finance Committee of the House of Representatives which is preventing them for dubious acquisition of wealth through budget alteration.
Another breakaway rebel lawmaker told IPNEWS that the Legislative Cartel had planned to remove Speaker Koffa at the resumption of the regular session on Tuesday, October 15, 2024, but was thwarted due to the lack of quorum.
This is a developing story as all eyes are now ahead on Thursday to see what happens. Read the RESOLUTION To Remove Speaker Koffa
