In their selfish and myopic quest for power, members of the Majority Bloc at the House of Representatives under the leadership of “Regime Speaker” Richard Nagbe Koon, took the entire country’s image to international ridicule by adamantly writing the ECOWAS Parliament, seeking withdrawal of three Liberian Legislators to that regional body.
The request was made despite earlier advice by Senator Edwin Melvin Snowe of Liberia, who chairs the Parliament’s Committee on Regional Security, that this is not possible.
But in their ignorance and being obsessed with power, the Koon-led Majority Bloc went ahead and wrote the ECOWAS Parliament, recalling Liberian Representatives Samuel R. Enders, Sr., Moima Briggs-Mensah, and Taa Z. Wongbe. However, they received a damning slap in the face from ECOWAS, as the regional parliamentary body flatly rejected the request.
In an official response to the 55th Liberian Legislature, especially the House of Representatives, the Parliament states that following a thorough review of the communication from Liberia and in accordance with Article 18.1, 2 of the supplementary Act on the Enhancement of the Powers of the ECOWAS Parliament, the mandate of Community Parliamentarians is set for a fixed term of four years.
The regional Parliament unequivocally explains that once designees from Member States are sworn in there, they cannot be removed or replaced before expiration of their term, except in cases of non-re-election of the member at the national level, death, or resignation through written notification to the President of the ECOWAS Parliament.
It furthers that unless in cases of certified mental or physical incapacity to perform duties, resignation due to incompatibility or dismissal by the Parliament for misconduct as provided in the Rules of Procedure of the ECOWAS Parliament, no legislature and parliament of a member state has right to withdraw nominees forwarded.
“The Honorable Members Samuel R. Enders, Sr., Moima Briggs-Mensah, and Taa Z. Wongbe do not fall under any of the aforementioned circumstances, therefore, their replacement cannot be affected; consequently, the Honorable Members of the ECOWAS Parliament will continue to serve their mandate until its expiration, in line with the international commitments of the Republic of Liberia”, the regional parliamentary body maintains.
Here is the embarrassment and international ridicule: The regional parliamentary body reminds that its decision is in line with the Republic of Liberia’s international commitments to that body, which the “Regime Speaker” Koon-led Majority Bloc is ignorant of, as demonstrated by their action, which has no doubt questioned the leadership and knowledge capacity of the Liberian Legislature.
But then, we are not surprised at all. Members of the Majority Bloc-led House flagrantly violated the Constitution of Liberia and their own rules regarding removal of the Speaker and illegally elected Representative Richard Nagbe Koon, who calls himself “Regime Speaker,” despite the presence of constitutionally elected Speaker J. Fonati Koffa. They even went further and illegally and forcefully opened the office of embattled Speaker Koffa for “Regime Speaker” Koon to occupy.
This is the same level of viciousness they took to the ECOWAS Parliament by requesting the withdrawal of Liberia’s nominees to that august body in spite of clear advice from their colleague in the Liberian Senate, Senator Edwin Melvin Snowe, that this is not feasible. But they received the backlash they deserved without any pity for their ignorance and obsession with exercising power that does not belong to them, bringing shame to the Motherland.
