Liberia: Embattled Speaker Runs to Court

Having failed on two occasions to convene the aggrieved lawmakers seeking his removal, embattled House Speaker Cllr. Jonathan Fonati Koffa has taken a flight to the nation’s highest court-the Supreme Court of Liberia praying for a writ of prohibition.

For the past two session days after news of his removal spread like wide fire in the country, Speaker Koffa has failed to get a quorum twice to conduct legislative business, as some 42 lawmakers seeking his removal are having separate session in the joint chamber of the Legislature as a means of forcing the Grand Kru County Representative to resign as Speaker of that august body.

But the Speaker continues to maintain his grip on the speakership of the House informing the majority bloc that there is no opting for resigning his post as Speaker. The Speaker has taken the matter before the Supreme Court of Liberia for redress.

Based on Speaker Koffa’s writ of prohibition, Justice-in-chambers, Yamie Quigui Gbeisay has ordered all proceedings of the majority bloc seeking to removal House Speaker, J. Fonati Koffa to be halted pending a conference with the Associate Justice on November 4, 2024 at the Temple of Justice in Monrovia.

The Supreme Court of Liberia mandate comes in the wake of a petition filed by the Leadership of the House of Representative. The ajority bloc within the House of Representatives are scheduled for a conference on Monday, November 4, 2024, at 10:00 AM.

Speaker Koffa is seeking a writ of prohibition against Representatives Samuel G. Kogar of Nimby County District #5, Richard Nagbe Koon of Montserrado County District #11, and other members of the Majority Bloc. The petition asserts that these lawmakers have acted outside the authority granted to them under the House’s Standing Rules.

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Associate Justice Yamie Quigui Gbeisay presiding over the case, has called for the conference to address the legal implications of the Majority Bloc’s actions and to determine the appropriate course of action moving forward. In his ruling, Justice Gbeisay emphasized the importance of maintaining order and adherence to legislative procedures during this contentious period.

The decision by the Justice-in-chambers, followed long hours of mediation between rival parties by the Senate’s mediation committee headed by Grand Bassa County Senator Gbarzohngay M. Findley. Sources closed to the committee disclosed that initial demands by the Majority Bloc is the unconditional resignation of Speaker Koffa to return to the House’s Chambers.

Speaker J. Fonati Koffa has ruled out any call for his resignation and warned of a long haul to ensuring that the House of Representative is audited bringing an end to repeated budget alterations.

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