Heated tension engulfed the House of Representatives on Thursday, October 17, 2024, as lawmakers went at each other’s throats over the removal of House Speaker, Cllr J. Fonati Koffa. Speaker Koffa was elected on a promise to initiate reforms in the House, including a key commitment to audit the Legislature, a process which has already been initiated by the General Auditing Commission (GAC) has already begun the process. While new lawmakers are enthusiastic about the audit, others have voiced strong exceptions and vowed to resist it.
Trusted sources have revealed to this paper that prominent current and former members of the House, including Deputy Speaker Thomas P. Fallah, Senator Prince Moye and Vice President Jeremiah Koung are against the audit, all of whom served as either Chairman or Co-Chairman of the House’s Ways and Finance Committee and feared that the audit could damage their 2029 election prospects, according to the report.
Several lawmakers, many of whom are members of the main opposition Congress for Democratic Change (CDC) were seen on live videos throwing invectives at each other; their securities and supporters too were seen engaging into fist fights in defense of their respective bosses in the Joint Chambers of the House of Representatives.
This action on the part of the lawmakers brought to standstill normal workings activities for several hours, preventing the holding of Thursday’s, October 17, 2024 sitting up Capitol Hill. It all started during the early morning hours of Thursday when a group of lawmakers headed by Representative Frank Saah Foko and Marvin Cole prevented the holding of session presided over by Deputy House Speaker Thomas Fallah.
Their decision to prevent Deputy Speaker Fallah from presiding over the session in the absence of Speaker Koffa was as a result of an allegation that Fallah had planned to clandestinely remove Koffa from his position. According to them, a message was posted in the official WhatsApp chartroom of the House of Representatives by Speaker Koffa that suggested that the session would be held at 4:00PM.
Representative Foko and Cole said there is evidence in their possession that Deputy Speaker Fallah is dishing out money to lawmakers for the removal of Speaker Koffa. The money is said to be in the tone of US$25,000 for each lawmaker’s signature in favor of the removal.
The two lawmakers vowed that they will not sit and allow Speaker Koffa to be removed illegally by the deputy speaker. Representative Cole was seen calling Deputy Speaker Fallah a “criminal” who was jeopardizing the safety and integrity of his colleagues.
“You’re a big rogue; you think we’ll sit down here for you to play with our lives; we’ll never do it,” Cole shouted during the tense standoff, warning Fallah of regrettable consequences if he attempted to force entry into the chambers.
However, 47 representatives were said to have signed a resolution to remove Speaker Koffa from his post, while scheduling a new Speakership election slated for next Thursday. But political and legal pundits believe that such removal is most likely not to hold.
Both Speaker Koffa and Deputy Speaker Fallah are ranking members of the main opposition Congress for Democratic Change (CDC) headed by former Liberian President, George M. Weah. However, Mr. Weah has since issued a statement over the situation pointing fingers at the Unity Party government of President Joseph Nyuma Boakai.
