Monrovia — The Majority Bloc of the House of Representatives is pushing forward with plans to convene on Tuesday, October 29, despite a Supreme Court stay order temporarily halting their efforts to unseat Speaker J. Fonati Koffa. The order, issued on October 25 in response to Koffa's petition, was meant to freeze activities related to his removal until a scheduled conference on November 4, where the court will deliberate on the legality of the bloc's actions.
Unfazed, the bloc of 43 lawmakers insists that the court's directive does not prevent them from pursuing their objectives. Members have hinted that Tuesday's agenda will include a formal discussion of the stay order, hinting at a potential challenge to the judiciary's interference. In a move that raises the stakes, the bloc has issued a stern warning to Deputy Speaker Thomas P. Fallah and Chief Clerk Mildred Sayon, advising that their participation is expected and failure to attend could jeopardize their roles.
Speaker Koffa, claiming the support of 30 legislators, has maintained that any attempt to remove him must adhere to House rules, which require 49 votes for an ouster. He has labeled the bloc's sessions as unconstitutional and urged dissenters to follow official procedures to address their grievances. Despite his invitations for dialogue, the House has failed to secure the necessary quorum for regular sessions, since it reconvened two weeks ago.
The majority bloc wanted Chief Clerk Sayon that her position could be at risk if she did not cooperate.
Speaker Koffa remains resolute, stating he will only step down if the bloc secures the constitutionally required majority.
Majority Bloc's Allegations and Speaker's Rebuttal
The Majority Bloc's case against Koffa rests on accusations of conflict of interest, mismanagement, and procedural violations. A resolution signed by 47 members accuses him of serving as a legal consultant for government agencies and private entities, allegedly creating conflicts with his legislative duties. Furthermore, Koffa is charged with improperly nominating representatives to the ECOWAS Parliament without a formal election process, a violation of both House procedures and ECOWAS protocol.
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However, Koffa has dismissed these allegations as baseless, stating that the charges lack factual grounding. "The counts that were written were not well-researched... It was more of an attention-getter," he remarked, noting that genuine concerns raised by members in private were absent from the resolution.
The Hidden Motive?
The drive to unseat Koffa, according to some sources, may be connected to his controversial decision to commission an audit of the House of Representatives - the first such examination since Liberia's civil war. The audit is expected to conclude by the end of the month and could potentially expose irregularities involving prominent figures, including Deputy Speaker Fallah, Vice President Jeremiah Koung, and former Speaker Emmanuel Nuquay. This move, seen by some lawmakers as an attempt to curtail budgetary manipulations that have historically shaped Liberia's political landscape, has reportedly sparked resistance within the legislature.
Vice President Koung, once co-chair of the Ways, Means, and Finance Committee, and Fallah, who previously chaired the committee, are reportedly uneasy about the audit's findings. Critics argue that Koffa's stringent oversight of budget processes threatens their political influence.
Sources familiar with the plans to oust him say the main goal of the ouster is to ensure he does not preside over the 2025 National Budget hearing.
