Jonathan Fornati Koffa, the Speaker of the House of Representatives in Liberia, has stated that he will not step down until his colleagues get the two-thirds majority required by law.
Speaker Koffa stated in an interview on the Spoon network on Tuesday night that he will not give up until his colleagues get the necessary number to take him out. Additionally, he disclosed that some of his coworkers are against him merely because he is acting morally at the capitol.
He asserted that some of his coworkers often phone ministries and organizations at different locations, such as Room 1026 at the Boulevard Palace Hotel in Monrovia, to give them extra money so they can benefit from it in return.
On Tuesday October 22, 2024, Speaker Jonathan Fonati Koffa and his supporters adjoining due to a lack of Quorum to conduct business.
Those opposed to Speaker Koffa held their session in the joint chambers of the Legislature. 30 Lawmakers were present in the main chambers, where both Koffa and his Deputy Lofa County District Two Representative Thomas Fallah were present. After a roll call by the Chief Clerk of the House Representatives, Mildred Siryon it was confirmed that 42 lawmakers were absent.
All 42 lawmakers had gathered in the joint chambers of the Legislature to conduct business under the doctrine of a simple majority. While the Chief Clerk and his Deputy were in the chambers presided over by Speaker Koffa some members of the Secretariat of the House of Representatives attended the session by the group calling itself the majority block.
Following the failure of the Pro-Koffa group to have a Quorum, Speaker Fonati Koffa announced that disciplinary action would be taken against members of the Secretariat who were not in the chambers.
The group calling itself the majority block, in their deliberation in the joint chambers, called on Deputy Speaker Thomas Fallah to join them within 48 hrs.
How it started
On Thursday, October 17, 2024, over 40 lawmakers signed what they called a resolution calling for the removal of Speaker Koffa, while he was away in Italy with President Joseph Boakai. In What appears to be a smart move to stop the resolution from landing, supporters of Koffa ensured that Deputy Speaker Thomas Fallah did not preside over the session. Pundits think that the pro-Koffa group was convinced that any attempt to have allowed Fallah to preside, the Speaker would have been history.
The current political battle at the Capital has not been void of allegations of corruption. Gbarpolu County Representative Luther Collins was seen in a video saying, that he was bribed to sign the resolution with 15,000 United States dollars, but only showed 14,800 noting that the person who delivered the money took the balance of 200 United States Dollars.
There are also reports that Vice President Jeremiah is dishing out money to have the speaker removed, while Liberia Water and Sewer Cooperation Managing Director Mohammed Ali and Transport Minister Sirleaf Ralph Tyler are also been accused been behind the plot. Mohammed Ali has since denied the allegation and welcomed Liberia’s Anti-corruption Commission’s move to investigate the matter. There is also gossip that the ruling Party is behind the plot.
Other reports in the corridors state that former President George and his CDC are behind the plot to get Koffa out. Reports say some in the CDC especially former President Weah think that Koffa is harboring intent for the presidency in 2029, a position Weah is still eyeing.
On Thursday, October 17, 2024, the former Liberian Leader issued a statement accusing President Joseph Boakai and the Unity Party of being the mastermind of the plot to remove the Speaker. His party, the CDC issued a warning of severe consequences to their lawmakers if they participate in the removal of Speaker Koffa, but such a warning seems to have fallen on deaf ears as some of the lawmakers remain resolute in their quest to have the speaker out.
What does the law say?
According to article 49 of the Liberia constitution, which talks about the election of Officers of the House of Representatives, it will take a total of 49 lawmakers which constitute two-thirds of the membership of the House of Representatives to remove Speaker Koffa. As it stands, those opposing the speaker are reportedly seven short of that number.
What does the history book say?
In 2006, Bomi County senator, then Speaker of the House of Representatives Edwin Snowe resigned following a constant boycott of his legislative sessions by his colleagues.
,Snowe had presided over the small minority of lawmakers while his opponents met in a separate session and voted to remove him. Despite the Supreme Court of Liberia overturning the decision by his colleagues, Snowe resigned.
Many Representatives voted to have Snowe removed from office for allegedly undermining Liberian diplomacy by meeting with Taiwanese officials in 2008. Liberians then recognized the Chinese government in Beijing, which claimed self-ruled Taiwan as part of its territory. Liberia still recognizes the government in Beijing.
As it is in the current situation there were allegations of bribery with Snowe himself accusing his colleagues of accepting bribes.
Tayler ousted
On September 27, 2016, members of the House of Representatives voted overwhelmingly with a two-thirds majority to remove J. Alex Tyler from the office of Speaker. His removal followed a long internal battle with his colleagues (Majority block) headed by his Deputy late Grand Bassa County Representative Hans Barchue.
Tyler was facing criminal indictment over alleged bribery levied by UK-based environmental group Global Witness. In their resolution, the 49 lawmakers accused Tyler who was then out of the country on a health leave of allegedly taking actions in violation of the rules and ethics of the House of Representatives by disrespecting them and bringing the body to public ridicule. Tyler was removed after three months of political battle with his colleagues.
What are Koffa’s crimes?
Speaker Jonathan Fonati Koffa who narrowly won Ruling Unity Party Candidate Montserrado County District 11 Representative Richard Koon in a heated speaker election is accused of manipulating the 2023 National Budget to accumulate unto himself US$2.9M outside his actual appropriation when he served as Deputy Speaker.
In the 2023 budget, Koffa, then Deputy Speaker was allotted US$1,541,025, but the outturn amounted to US$ 4,038,687, US$ 2,936,159 higher than the actual allotted to the Office as per the budget passed by the legislature and approved by the President.
The lawmakers stated that Koffa’s action amounted the systemic corruption, which they believed had damaged the reputation of the speaker’s office and compromised the integrity of the House of Representatives. The revolting lawmakers argue that the speaker’s action violates Article 5c of the Liberian constitution.
Article 5(c) states, “Take steps, by appropriate legislation and executive orders, to eliminate sectionalism and tribalism, and such abuses of power as the misuse of government resources, nepotism, and all other corrupt practices.”
The aggrieved lawmakers used Rule 44.1 of the House’s Rule as a legal reliance for their removal proceedings.
Will Koffa survive?
It is too soon to predict where and how the current political battle at the Legislature will end, but reflecting the pages of history one could say the Speaker must be worried.
With 30 lawmakers present today in Chambers, which did constitute a quorum, the speaker needs to convince eight of his comrades to join him on Thursday to have the number needed to do business. Those opposing the speaker will also be hustling for seven lawmakers from the camp of the speaker to take their number to 49 which will lead to the ousting of Speaker Koffa. The Lawmakers return to Capitol Hill on Thursday for one of their regular sessions.
