-Embattle Speaker Koffa replies House
Embattled Speaker Koffa says those asking him to vacate the Office of the Speaker should obtain it in the same illegal manner as they obtained the speakership.
Monrovia, February 3, 2025: Embattled House Speaker Jonathan Fonati Koffa has rejected his colleagues' instruction to clear all his belongings and vacate the Office of the Speaker of the House of Representatives-telling them to get it the same way they took the speakership.
Keep up with the latest headlines on WhatsApp | LinkedIn
Through the Chief Clerk of the House of Representatives, a communication dated January 30, 2025, was transmitted to embattled Speaker Koffa, asking him to transition from the Speaker's Office and make way for majority bloc leader Rep. Richard Nagbe Koon.
But Cllr. Koffa, responding to a letter sent to him via WhatsApp, said members of the House of Representatives who want him to vacate the office should obtain it in the same illegal manner as they obtained the speakership.
"Please refer those who instructed you to write such a letter that they should obtain the office in the same manner as they obtain the Speakership-illegally and with the force of the Executive," Speaker Koffa said.
"I believe, according to the so-called Committee report, the Minister of Justice, Cllr. Oswald Tweh, whose interpretation of events got us to this point, has already outlined a pathway to complete the illegal act," Koffa added.
The embattled Speaker continued that his understanding is that the plenary of the majority bloc on Thursday, January 30, 2025, voted to defer its committee report regarding this matter to Tuesday, February 4, 2025.
"If this is the case, then your letter, purporting to obtain instructions from the plenary, is an unlawful usurpation of the function and authority of the people's elected representatives," Koffa argued.
Earlier on January 30, 2025, the Chief Clerk of the House of Representatives, Madam Mildred Sayon, wrote Cllr. Koffa informed him that she had been directed by the House of Representatives in Session to request that he remove all his belongings from the Office of the Speaker.
She informed Koffa to act in the next five days, as of January 30, 2025, given the urgency of the call.
She added that the mandate was predicated upon a report of the House's Committee on Rules, Order, and Administration regarding his persistent and sustained to empty the offices of the Speaker of his belongings.
Last week, the House of Representatives voted to forcibly remove embattled Speaker Koffa from his office to make way for majority bloc leader Rep. Richard Koon.
Koon controversially replaced Koffa after a majority of members of the House of Representatives voted to remove Speaker Koffa last year.
Koffa and his loyalists in the House of Representatives have refused to recognize Koon as the Speaker.
A violent protest ensued on Capitol Hill as the political turmoil surrounding Koffa's removal escalated before fire erupted in the joint chamber of the Legislature the following day.
The House's decision to forcibly remove Koffa's belongings this Tuesday, January 4, 2025, is prompted by a report from its committee.
The Committee informed the Plenary about ongoing efforts to facilitate the transition of the Speaker's office.
According to the committee, it had written embattled Speaker Koffa, requesting him to vacate the office and turn it over to majority bloc leader Rep. Richard Koon.
However, the committee said Koffa refused to comply.
It noted that this ugly situation seriously embarrasses Speaker Koon and the staff, impeding the execution of their official duties.
"To date, Speaker Koon and staff have yet to have access to their offices, thus undermining the effective execution of their responsibilities," the committee reported.
Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters
Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox
In response to the alleged refusal, the committee sought the intervention of the Minister of Justice, who advised that they should issue a formal communication to Speaker Koffa.
The Justice Minister advised that the committee grants Koffa a five-day ultimatum to vacate the office.
Should Koffa fail to comply within the given timeframe, the Justice Minister stated that the committee should take further action, including placing Koffa's personal belongings outside in the presence of the media and civil society organizations.
Following reading the committee's communication during Tuesday's session, a motion was made to defer further discussions until next Tuesday.
Current efforts to throw out the belongings of embattled Speaker Koffa from the Office of the Speaker is the last fight to erase his stamp as Speaker of the 55th Legislature amid controversy that the entire process is illegal.
