MONROVIA, LIBERIA – Montserrado County District #10 Representative Yekeh Kolubah has voiced staunch support for embattled Speaker J. Fonati Koffa, firmly rejecting any attempts to unseat him as Speaker of the 55th National Legislature. Speaking during a press conference on Saturday, November 23, 2024, Kolubah warned that Speaker Koffa would not resign and accused the majority bloc of undermining the rule of law.
“Fonati Koffa remains the Speaker of the 55th National Legislature, and he will continue to serve in that capacity,” Kolubah asserted. “Anyone who believes he will step down on Monday is wasting their time. The only way to remove him is through proper legal procedures.”
Kolubah also issued a stern warning, stating that failure to respect the Supreme Court’s rulings could lead to chaos. “If the Supreme Court makes a decision and it is not enforced, we will take the law into our own hands just as the majority bloc has done. That would signify the absence of law in this country,” he said. Kolubah further accused President Joseph Boakai’s administration of interfering in legislative matters, claiming such actions could lead to calls for the President’s resignation.
According to Kolubah, the Executive Branch is actively involved in efforts to pressure Speaker Koffa into stepping down. He alleged that Rep. Moima Briggs-Mensah had been used as an intermediary to coerce Koffa into resigning, reportedly to facilitate an investigation by the Liberia Anti-Corruption Commission (LACC). “This is a calculated move to embarrass the Speaker and install Richard Koon as his replacement,” Kolubah charged, referencing Koon’s election by the majority bloc.
Tensions within the legislature reached a boiling point on Thursday, November 21, 2024, when the majority bloc elected Hon. Richard Nagbe Koon as the new Speaker in a white-ballot vote. Koon, escorted under tight security, was reportedly provided with a new official vehicle following his election.
Former Koffa ally Rep. Moima Briggs-Mensah expressed her disillusionment with his leadership, citing his failure to unite the legislature. “Speaker J. Fonati Koffa has lost the moral authority to lead,” she declared, further fueling the division within the legislative body.
Kolubah dismissed Briggs-Mensah’s criticism as baseless and accused members of the majority bloc of accepting bribes to abandon Koffa. “The day Fonati Koffa even considers resigning, I will inform the Liberian people that I can no longer be part of this legislature,” he stated, pledging his continued loyalty to Koffa.
The ongoing dispute has cast a shadow over Liberia’s legislature, with fears of potential unrest if the conflict persists. Kolubah’s accusations, coupled with his threats of resistance, underscore the widening rift within the House of Representatives. The controversy also raises questions about the roles of the judiciary and Executive Branch in ensuring the stability of the nation’s governance.
