According to media reports, the government of Liberia has announced that President Joseph N. Boakai will deliver his Annual Message (State of the Nation Address) on the grounds of the Capitol Building (seat of the National Legislature) in Monrovia on January 27, 2025.
The Annual Message, the second since President Boakai came to office last year, is being held outdoors at the Capitol Building. This is because the joint chambers in the Capitol Building, where the President's Annual Message to the nation is usually delivered, were destroyed in the wake of the massive fire that erupted at the Capitol Building on December 18, 2024. The fire also gutted the imposing dome of the historic Capitol Building, symbolizing a vicious attack at the heart of Liberia's nascent democracy.
The arson attack at the Capitol, the cost of which is estimated at US$1.8 million, occurred at a time of growing tension in Liberia in the wake of a major power struggle within the National Legislature. An attempt to unconstitutionally remove the Speaker of the House of Representatives, J. Fonati Koffa, from the speakership position is creating a state of instability in the fragile post-war country.
Because of the political stalemate, the National Legislature, the first of the three branches of the Liberian government, has split into two factions in a duel for control. Backed by a minority group of representatives, so-called the "Minority Bloc" or "Rule of Law Caucus", Cllr. Koffa has maintained that he remains the constitutionally recognized Speaker of the House of Representatives. The other faction, which styled itself the "Majority Bloc", has elected their new speaker, Representative Richard Koon.
Members of the "Rule of Law Caucus" have announced that they will boycott the President's forthcoming State of the Nation Address. According to media reports, the Rule of Law Caucus cited serious concerns about the erosion in legislative independence and alleged interference by the Executive Branch (presidency) in the affairs of the National Legislature.
Meanwhile, several individuals are currently in detention awaiting court trials for their alleged involvement in the arson at the Capitol Building, amid media reports that the suspects have claimed that they have endured torture and other violations of their legal and fundamental human rights.
Increasingly alarming are media reports, rumors to arrest embattled Speaker Koffa and several other Members of the House of Representatives, who are Koffa allies, which the government has denied. There can be little doubt that these kinds of reports have the propensity to undermine the peace and stability in the fragile post-war country.
In order to ease the escalating tension, I herewith recommend the following for President Boakai to consider for his Annual Message:
1. That the best possible way the government should handle the fire incident at the Capitol Building is to use a similar method the government employed in the aftermath of the Executive Mansion fire in 2006, during the administration of President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, when President Boakai was the Vice President.
2. That the government should hire experts from South Africa or another country to work with the relevant Liberian government agencies in conducting the investigation. This would lay the matter to rest and begin the process of restoring the building.
3. President Boakai should announce that he is seeking external expertise to assist with the fire investigation, so as to ensure public confidence in the process.
4. That President Boakai should seek an advisory opinion from the Supreme Court of Liberia to put to rest the Speakership controversy in the House of Representatives.
5. That President Boakai should reach out to his predecessors, former Presidents Ellen Johnson Sirleaf and George M. Weah in an effort to reduce the increasingly escalating tension in Liberian society.
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This is an urgent appeal to the government of President Boakai to course-correct to reduce the tension that is building up in the fragile post-war country.
You are known to be a very quiet and peaceful person, Mr President. Don't let the early years of your presidency be known for disregard for the rule of law and democratic governance, human rights violations, and many other ills that have stained most of the past Liberian governments and leaders, especially in recent history.
The time is now to put Liberia back on a course of sustainable peace and progress, in order to create the enabling environment for the young people to aspire to the best of their capabilities.
About the Author:
Gabriel I.H. Williams is a journalist, former diplomat, and author.
