The statement by President Joseph Nyuma Boakai in reaction to Wednesday, December 18, 2024 fire outbreak in the joint chambers of the legislative up Capitol Hill, currently used as a meeting ground for Majority Bloc lawmakers, appears as if the president was indirectly pointing fingers at someone for being the mastermind of the disaster.
Liberians woke up Wednesday to the shocking reality of watching their country’s legislative building being ravaged into a cloud of flames igniting out of the ceilings of the joint chambers currently hosting the Majority Bloc members of the House of Representatives.
Speaking on the scene shortly after the fire brought under control, Boakai said the Capitol Building is not a place for hooligans, but responsible people that are expected to serve the Liberian people, sounding as if he was suggesting that someone was responsible for the fire incident, even at a time when no official report had been released to determine the cause of the fire.
According to the Liberian leader, his government would not tolerate acts of violence and destruction in the country.
However, the President has mandated the Minister of Justice and all the security apparatus to investigate the matter, and anyone involved with the burning of the Joint Chamber be dealt with according to law.
President Boakai: “We’re not going to accept this. We’re asking the Minister of Justice and all the security apparatus to investigate it to the letter. People who are involved, we will deal with them.”
Boakai said the action of the government will set the tone for others who set properties or things ablaze when they are angry. “I just want to console the members of this body. We are in sympathy with them, but this destruction will have to stop. We are not going to allow this to happen in this country,” Boakai said.
He said while it is true that Liberia is poor, his government will try its possible best to rebuild the country. The blaze was brought under control through help of the Liberia National Fire Service (LNFS) and the Liberia Water & Sewer Corporation.
