-Vows to talk to rebel Lawmakers
Having narrowly survived a plot to remove him, Speaker J. Fonati Koffa extends an olive branch to rebel lawmakers here, calling for dialogue to address their concerns.
By Bridgett Milton
Monrovia, Liberia, October 22, 2024--Following a resolution signed by 47 disenchanted members of the House of Representatives to remove the Speaker, Speaker J. Fonati Koffa says he will talk to his colleagues who have grievances.
Speaking in a brief press conference on Monday, October 21, following his return to the country, Speaker Koffa said he agrees with United States Ambassador Mark Toner that negotiation is better than confrontation. In that light, he will talk to his colleagues in the House, whom he describes as "friends and brothers" with grievances.
According to Speaker Koffa, the legislature is the first branch of government, but they are a little embarrassed by what transpired last Thursday at the Capitol Building. They assure the public that it will never happen again.
"We will do everything we can to work through whatever issues we have to ensure the confidence of the Republic is restored in this branch of government," says the Speaker.
He describes the House of Representatives as one big family, noting that they disagree sometimes, and they disagree loudly; sometimes, they take notice of other actions, but at the end of the day, the Liberian people are their highest responsibility and care, so it is because of them that they are compelled to find a negotiated way out of any crisis before them that has left the people offended.
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The Speaker apologizes to the public for the recent disorder at the Capitol and pledges to restore order and unity within the 55th Legislature.
He pleads, "If anybody was offended or embarrassed by what happened last week, all 72 of us apologize to our constituents."
Lawmakers here have raised concerns over what they describe as a lack of transparency and alleged conflict of interest involving Koffa's consultancy roles. These accusations have culminated in a motion for a vote of no confidence, putting Koffa's leadership in jeopardy. However, the Speaker remained optimistic that a solution would be reached through dialogue.
As the vote of no confidence looms, Koffa focuses on finding a negotiated path forward.
At the same time, the Liberia Anti-Corruption Commission (LACC) has launched an investigation into serious allegations regarding the involvement of certain members of the House of Representatives in acts of bribery aimed at influencing the removal of the Speaker of the House.
A press release from the LACC says the Commission is aware of sources of funding in the total amount of US$750,000.00 (Seven Hundred Fifty Thousand United States Dollars), which was allegedly made available to the Lawmakers through the accounts of the Ministry of Transport and the Liberia Water and Sewer Corporation (LWSC) respectively.
