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By Jerromie S. Walters
Capitol Hill, Monrovia — The Majority Bloc of the House of Representatives has officially voted to remove Cllr. J. Fonati Koffa from his position as Speaker of the 55th Legislature of the Republic of Liberia. The resolution was supported by 50 representatives, according to the Bloc. However, several lawmakers who previously signed recently withdrew their signatures from the document.
The resolution was read aloud during a session on Thursday by Acting Chief Clerk Comic Chea, following a motion introduced by Representative James Kolleh of Bong County. The Majority Bloc’s decision comes in the wake of a specialized committee’s report, which recommended that Koffa’s position be declared vacant due to his failure to respond to serious allegations raised by six lawmakers within the bloc.
According to the committee’s findings, Speaker Koffa was invited on three separate occasions to address these allegations but chose not to appear before the committee. This lack of engagement has been a critical factor in the Majority Bloc’s decision to pursue his removal.
During the session, 41 lawmakers were present, and some members from Koffa’s own political faction were listed as signatories to the resolution. Among them were Representatives Thomas Goshua, Matthew Joe, Priscilla Cooper, Rufie Barry, Alex Sonnyboy Noah, and Bintu Massally, indicating a significant shift in loyalty and support within the legislature.
Also, the “Majority Bloc” has unanimously agreed to appoint Deputy Speaker Thomas Fallah as Acting Speaker of the House of Representatives, in accordance with legislative rules. This interim leadership is expected to facilitate the transition and maintain legislative operations as the House navigates this unprecedented change.
Meanwhile, Koffa is expected to address a press conference at his Capitol Hill office today.
