Montserrado County District #10 Representative Yekeh Kolubah has reaffirmed embattled Speaker J. Fonati Koffa’s position as Speaker of the 55th National Legislature amidst rising tensions within the House of Representatives.
In a fiery press conference held on Saturday, November 23, 2024, Rep. Kolubah dismissed any possibility of Speaker Koffa’s resignation, vowing to resist efforts by the majority bloc to unseat him.
“Fonati Koffa remains the Speaker of the 55th National Legislature, and he will always remain the Speaker,” Kolubah declared. “If anybody thinks that Fonati Koffa is not the Speaker or will resign on Monday, they are wasting their time. The only way to remove him is through due process.”
Kolubah further accused the majority bloc of undermining the rule of law and warned of severe consequences if the Supreme Court’s rulings were not respected. “If the Supreme Court rules and their decision is not enforced, we will take the law into our own hands just as the majority bloc does.
That would mean there is no law in this country,” he said, cautioning that any perceived involvement by President Joseph Boakai in the situation could lead to calls for his resignation.
Kolubah alleged that the Executive Branch, under President Boakai, is complicit in efforts to force Speaker Koffa’s resignation. He claimed that Rep. Moima Briggs-Mensah had been used to pressure Koffa to step aside, supposedly to facilitate an investigation by the Liberia Anti-Corruption Commission (LACC). “This is all a setup to humiliate the Speaker and pave the way for Richard Koon to take over,” Kolubah said, referencing Koon’s recent election as Speaker by the majority bloc.
The controversy within the House of Representatives escalated on Thursday, November 21, 2024, when the majority bloc elected Hon. Richard Nagbe Koon as the new Speaker through a white-ballot process. Following his election, Koon was reportedly escorted to the Joint Chambers under heavy security and provided with a new official vehicle.
Rep. Briggs-Mensah, who had previously supported Speaker Koffa, publicly criticized his leadership, accusing him of failing to unify the Legislature. “I must express my disappointment in the current leadership of Speaker J. Fonati Koffa. He has lost the moral authority to lead,” she stated.
Kolubah dismissed her remarks as an embarrassment, alleging that majority bloc members had been bribed to defect from Koffa’s camp. “The day Fonati attempts to resign, I will tell the Liberian people that I am no longer part of this legislature,” Kolubah declared, reiterating his commitment to fight for the embattled Speaker.
The unfolding drama has placed the Liberian Legislature in a precarious position, with concerns over potential unrest if the dispute remains unresolved. Kolubah’s pointed remarks and threats highlight the deepening divisions within the legislative body, while the involvement of the judiciary and Executive Branch raises questions about the separation of powers.
