Sources within the corridors of the House of Representatives on Capitol Hill have hinted to this paper that embattled Speaker Cllr. J. Fonati Koffa is expected to backtrack on his earlier decision and resign.
Monrovia, November 21, 2024/ House Speaker Cllr. J. Fonati Koffa and his minority bloc were locked up in consultation meetings on Wednesday amidst reports of his imminent resignation today, November 21.
As of 4:30 PM on Wednesday, no decision had been reached on the Speaker’s future and resignation plan. However, Speaker Koffa confirmed in a chat with this paper that there were ongoing consultations, but no decision had been reached yet.
Unconfirmed reports say Speaker Koffa will agree to step down only if the body elects Nimba County Rep. Musa Bility as his successor.
The dramatic twist of events
The dramatic twist in the ongoing crisis at the House of Representatives, which has lasted more than two months, follows the defection of two pro-Koffa lawmakers to the majority bloc on Tuesday, November 19, seeking the Speaker’s removal.
The lawmakers who announced their defection on Tuesday are Montserrado County 17th District Representative Bernard Benson and Gbarpolu County District 1st District Representative Zinnah Normam, bringing the majority bloc number to 45.
It also followed Monday’s submission of the 2025 draft National Budget by the Executive, under President Boakai Majority bloc.
President Joseph Nyuma Boakai suspended the submission of the draft National Budget for (FY-2025) for the second time this year.
President Boakai, who left the country for working visits to neighboring Sierra Leone, informed the Clerk of the House of Representatives that the budget suspension was due to a recent court decision in the ongoing attempts by lawmakers to remove the embattled House Speaker.
The magic number requires to remove the speaker.
To remove Speaker Koffa, the majority bloc needs 49 House members to sign a resolution.
Since September, lawmakers opting to remove the Speaker have not been able to obtain 49 signatures from their colleagues to achieve their objective.
On Monday, November 19, the embattled Speaker challenged lawmakers seeking to oust him to gather that constitutionally required 49 signatures to remove him as Speaker.
The turn in events on Wednesday appears to indicate that the anti-Koffa group is edging closer to that number, as few of the Speakers loyalists have either announced their defections or are considering doing so.
More withdraw supports
On Wednesday, November 20, Bong County District #6 Representative Moima Briggs Mensah announced her decision to withdraw her support from the Speaker’s bloc, leaving the Speaker with only 26 lawmakers out of 73.
Rep. Briggs blamed former President George Weah for being the mastermind behind the Speaker’s removal.
The former ruling party has a large number of lawmakers among the 73 members of the House of Representatives, with both the embattled Speaker and his deputy, who is now the presiding officer for the majority bloc, being members.
Rep. Mensah, in her briefing Wednesday, vowed to remain neutral, adding that her decision is based on Speaker Koffa’s failure to reunite his colleagues.
“Being a second-term Lawmaker and for what “I have observed the past weeks, “I think in my mind, Speaker Koffa has failed to unite our colleagues to come back to work, and in this light, since it can not happen,”
I have decided to stay neutral in this process and will not go to the Chamber, which will not form a quorum. I will also not be going to the other end, where my colleagues are meeting, until they see the need and come to our Chamber, where we were elected as lawmakers, to do the Liberian people’s jobs, Rep. Mensah added. –Writes Othello B. Garblah with additional files from Emmanuel Jipoh.
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