Early Monday, November 11, 2024, legislative staffers woke up to the massive destruction of seats in the Joint Chambers of the House of Representatives, the meeting ground for Majority Bloc lawmakers calling for removal of House Speaker J. Fonati Koffa.
It was established that the uprooting of the chairs in the Joint Chambers was carried out late Saturday and Sunday by unknown persons.
However, the Chairman of Majority members, Representative Samuel Kogar, has condemned the vandalism in the Joint Chambers, where property was deliberately damaged, and chairs broken, but vowed that they will hold their session anyhow.
“This is a blatant attempt to disrupt the House’s functioning. This attack, intended to prevent the majority from carrying out the business of the Liberian people, is both undemocratic and unacceptable,” Representative Kogar said.
He said the Majority Bloc is committed to the rule of law and democratic principles and reaffirms its resolve to continue with legislative proceedings, undeterred by these tactics.
According to him, such unlawful actions only strengthen their commitment to upholding the mandate given to them by the Liberian people and their desire to restore trust, honor and decency to the honorable House.
“We call upon all leaders and citizens to denounce such actions that undermine Liberia’s democracy. This act of intimidation, we assure our people will not deter us from representing the interests of our constituents and ensuring that critical issues affecting our country are addressed in a transparent, responsible manner,” he said.
In a letter sent to this paper, Representative Kogar alleged that Speaker Koffa and his group have once again demonstrated gross misbehavior that has cost them the trust and confidence of the Liberian people.
Chairman Kogar said the Minority Bloc’s action only further deepens public frustration and distrust and reinforces the need for a leadership change to ensure the House remains focused on serving the nation’s interests.
He said the work of the House of Representatives will precede responsibly and decisively and the business of Liberia will continue as mandated, without intimidation or obstruction.
Meanwhile, the Chief of Security at Liberian Senate Dyonosious Wesseh said he placed a call to Director of Security at House of Representative and was informed that it was Montserrado County District #12 Representative Jerry Yougboh who is a member of Speaker Koffa’s bloc that gave the instruction to remove the chairs in on grounds that a renovation would take place soon.
But Mr. Wesseh said the Senate leadership is not aware of any appropriation for the renovation of the Joint Chambers because no terms have been sent to the Senate’s Chairman on Rule, Order and Administration.
However, Representative Jerry Yougboh has disclosed that the information is false and misleading because he has never given an order to anybody to remove the chairs in the joint chamber.
Representative Yougboh said the House of Representative signed a contract with Delta Architectural and Construction Company to carry out renovation on the joint chamber building.
He said it is the responsibility of the House to make sure that the joint chamber is ready before President Joseph N. Boakai’s State of Nation Address in January 2025, and that the Speaker owns the joint chambers because he is the one that leads the president to address the nation and he does not need to inform the Liberian Senate before renovation is taken.
He said the Speaker has nothing to do with what happened in the joint chambers and despite their differences, nobody is targeting anyone.
