Monrovia — Until Thursday, October 17, there had never been any public opposition or criticism of Cllr. J. Fonati Koffa's leadership as Speaker of the 55th Legislature, either by members of the ruling establishment or the opposition bloc to which he belongs.
However, on Thursday, he narrowly escaped losing his post as Speaker following the signing of a resolution by 47 members of the House aiming to remove him. This unexpected move, which took the nation by surprise, was widely perceived as the lawmakers executing the will of a hidden paymaster.
On the same day, Representative J. Marvin Cole, the House Chairman on Rules, Order, and Administration, locked the doors to the House's chambers, insisting that Deputy Speaker Thomas Fallah would not preside over the session. Fallah is accused of being among the lawmakers plotting to remove Koffa as Speaker. Others implicated in sponsoring the resolution include Vice President Jeremiah Koung, Rep. Richard Koon, and former Speaker Emmanuel Nuquay.
With no access to the House chambers and amid a chaotic atmosphere, the lawmakers' intent on ousting Koffa read their petition outside the chambers on the premises of the Capitol Building. The resolution was presented by Representative Nya Flomo (Nimba, District 2) from his mobile phone on behalf of the dissenting group. The original signed copy of the resolution was not available at the time of the reading, and no copies were provided to the media.
The Liberian Investigator contacted Representative Koon for a copy of the resolution; he shared a screenshot of a document with signatures, purported to be the resolution, that was circulated on social media by Voice of Liberia. He did not confirm whether it was the authentic resolution nor explain the absence of a hard copy. An electronic copy of the resolution was distributed hours after the event at the Capitol Building.
Their Claims
The resolution, signed by 47 members of the House, accuses the Speaker of conflict of interest. They alleged that Koffa is reportedly serving as a consultant and lawyer for various government agencies and private companies, which he is also tasked with overseeing in his capacity as Speaker. This, according to the resolution, has not only violated the rules of the House but also tarnished its reputation. Additionally, Koffa is accused of submitting a list of representatives to the ECOWAS Parliament without conducting a proper election. This, according to the resolution, is a violation of both the House procedures and ECOWAS protocol.
Other charges leveled against Koffa include alleged budgetary mismanagement. Furthermore, he has been accused of illegally altering the national budget and creating new committees and departments without the approval of the House. The resolution demanded his immediate removal, with the Deputy Speaker stepping in until a new Speaker is elected.
Fear of Audit, No More Budget Manipulation
On the other hand, other lawmakers claimed the fight to remove Cllr. Koffa is twined within his initiation of the first post-war audit of the House of Representatives, an endeavor that has reportedly ruffled the feathers of some of Liberia's most powerful politicians. The audit, which is expected to be concluded by the end of this month, is likely to expose potential financial irregularities and would see key figures such as Deputy Speaker Thomas Fallah, Vice President Jeremiah Koung, and former Speaker Emmanuel Nuquay under scrutiny.
Before becoming Deputy Speaker, Fallah served as chair of the House's Ways, Means, and Finance Committee, responsible for overseeing budget matters. Vice President Jeremiah Koung also served as co-chair of the same committee prior to his election as Senator and subsequently Vice President.
This comes in addition to the stringent measures introduced by the Speaker on the processes leading to the passage of the National Budget which had reportedly had a history of manipulation. Some see the Speaker's deliberate attempt to curb the historical manipulation of budget allocations as a direct threat to their political survival.
I was only spying
Grand Bassa County Representative Thomas A. Goshua late Thursday evening withdrew his support for the petition to oust the Speaker, calling the move an attack on his bold push to audit the House of Representatives.
Rep. Goshua, who was initially one of the signatories of the resolution, clarified that his involvement was purely investigative, aimed at identifying those behind the movement to unseat the Speaker.
In a press statement released Thursday, Goshua revealed that the push to remove Koffa stems from the Speaker's efforts to audit the House, an unprecedented move targeting financial mismanagement and corruption. "The push for Speaker Koffa's removal was largely in response to his bold stance to commence the audit of the House of Representatives, marred by bribery," Rep. Goshua stated. He added that the audit represents a critical step toward transparency and accountability, values that should not be undermined.
"We as lawmakers in good conscience should not support any effort aimed at stifling such an important and necessary step toward good governance," Rep. Goshua stated, calling on his colleagues to prioritize transparency over internal divisions.
Confession of cash flow
Capping public suspicion of widespread bribery for the Speaker's removal, Representative Luther Collins (Gbarpolu, District 2) revealed to reporters at the Capitol on Thursday that the resolution for the removal of Speaker Cllr. Koffa was part of a US$25,000 "pay-for-play" scheme designed to oust him from the top post. Rep. Collins claimed he was offered US$25,000 as part of a the conspiracy aimed at impeaching Speaker Koffa. In a video, Rep. Collins is seen displaying wads of cash, amounting to US$15,000--an initial payment, with the balance of US$10,000 to be paid after the voting process that would finalize Speaker Koffa's removal.
He also shared a list purportedly naming the lawmakers involved in the plot, who had also signed for the US$15,000 initial payment. "For the past two days, rumors of impeaching Speaker Koffa have circulated around the Capitol building," Collins explained. "I was informed that the bribe offered was US$25,000 per lawmaker. I pretended to participate in the scheme to expose this corruption to the Liberian people. This action is not in the best interest of our country." According to him, he infiltrated the conspiracy and collected the bribe as evidence, documenting the involvement of key officials. He accused Vice President Koung and Deputy Speaker Fallah of orchestrating the scheme to realign leadership within the influential Ways, Means & Finance Committee, chaired by Rep. Dixon Seeboe, a close ally of Speaker Koffa.
Weah Calls out Unity Party
Former President George Manneh Weah, in a statement issued on Thursday, accused the Unity Party-led government under President Joseph Boakai of using "ill-gotten funds" from national coffers to influence what he described as an "unjust removal" of Speaker Koffa. The former President and political leader of the Coalition for Democratic Change (CDC) said these actions threaten Liberia's democratic institutions and constitutional integrity.
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"This blatant act of political chicanery not only threatens the integrity of our constitutional legislative process but also sets a dangerous precedent for governance in our beloved nation," Weah stated. He stated that the maneuvers to manipulate the legislative branch for partisan gain represented a direct affront to the principles of democracy and the will of the Liberian people.
Lawmakers allegedly backing the removal
Some lawmakers allegedly supporting the removal of the Speaker include: James Kolleh, Bong County District 2 who allegedly distributed the money; Samuel Kogar , Nimba County District 5; Clarence Gahr, Margibi County District 5; Ivar K. Jones, Margibi County District 2; P Mike Jury, Maryland County District 1; Dorwohn Gleekia, Nimba County District 6; Foday Fahnbulleh, Bong County District 7; Nyan Flomo, Nimba County District 2; Anthony Williams, Maryland County District 2; Jeremiah G. Sokan, Grand Gedeh County District 1; Ernest Manseah, Nimba County District 4; Steve Tequah, Rivercess County District 2; Richard Nagbe Koon, Montserrado County District 11; Johnson Williams, Rivergee County District 3; Neker Gaye, Nimba County District 3; Rep Sekou Kanneh, Montserrado County District 2; Rep Nathaniel Bahway of Grand Kru District 1; Rep. Mustapaha Waritay, Gbarpolu County District 3; Emmanuel Yarh, Margibi District 4; Matthew Joe, Grand Bassa County District 3; and Thomas Goshua, Grand Bassa District #5.
