By Gideon Nma Scott, Jr.
On Thursday, November 8, 2024, all eyes and ears were at the presidency for the submission of fiscal year 2025/2026 national budget which was delayed due to the current crisis at the House of Representatives. There were speculations that the budget would have been submitted to embattled House Speaker Jonathan Fonati Koffa who is claiming legitimacy, though is not able to function due to the lack of quorum.
The submission of the budget, whether to Speaker Koffa or the majority bloc seeking to remove him would have sealed the Executive’s position on the matter and put an end to the almost two months saga at the Lower House. But on the contrary, President Boakai have postponed the submission of the budget until our lawmakers can resolve their issues.
In September of this year, over 40 members of the House of Representatives signed and notarized a petition to impeach Hon. Cllr. Jonathan Fonati Koffa for several reasons including conflict of interest, mismanagement, and procedural violations among others, but the Speaker has dismissed these allegations as false, unsubstantiated and lack of factual basis in the resolution. He believes that the main motive behind his removal is linked to his decision to commission an audit of the House of Representatives, which could uncover some financial and ethical irregularities involving key figures, potentially impacting the political landscape in Liberia.
In his acceptance speech as Speaker of the 55th Legislature, Koffa promised to bring back legislative sanity to the House, work with the executive to establish a Corruption Court that would hold past and present individuals responsible for robbing the state and citizens of valuable resources, bring about legislative reforms and establish a system audit at the Lower House
“It is the responsibility of all members of this honorable to remain honorable in all our dealings. I therefore encourage all of us to begin by declaring our assets, which will set the agenda for other to follow,” Koffa said in his first session.
It is speculated in the court of public opinion that removal campaign against Koffa could be predicated on some of the reforms and policies he is introducing at the House of Representatives. But as the public looks on, both parties are relying their separate assemblies on the “LAW” and their STANDING RULES.”
Since the conflict, there have been separate sessions; the legitimate session presided over by Speaker Fonati that always does not have a quorum to do legislative business and the 43-member majority bloc that sits in the joint chambers of the legislature.
While Koffa is being pressurized by his colleagues to resign as others, like Edwin Snowe and Alex Tyler, who were faced with the same scenario did, he has remained adamant to succumb to their whims, which has put the actual workings of the house at a standstill.
Just for an ‘aside,’ some of us in the media, whether paid agents or sympathizers, are have taken sides and are inflaming the situation through hate speeches, defamatory statements or other uncouth remarks either for or against Koffa or the majority bloc. Like my senior brother, Frank Sinwola would say, “Bad Manners in the media or unethical media practices,” should be discouraged by all journalists or media workers. We should use our media platform to promote development, peace and security as well as good governance and democracy.
Back to our discussion, in all this yobo-yobo, both sides have admitted that President Joseph Boakai and his executive Mansion have no fish to fry in their oil and have rendered the president as clean as a white linen.
But I think that even though the contenders in the legislative conflict have declared the president innocent, he should seize the opportunity to intervene and by submitting the budget to either no-quorum legitimate Speaker Koffa or his ousters, the majority bloc, which would have hammered the nail in the head.
Anyway, here we are at the crossroad with a president who is behaving like Pontius Pilate, who at the time of the crucifixion of Jesus told the crowd, I find no fault in this man,” but yet turned him over to be murder.
While Boakai finds no fault in Koffa, as stated by the Minister of Information, he is not brave to do national business with him, neither can he man up to do business with the majority bloc which will be a breach of the law. I don’t want to say it’s cowardice, but I it’s think scaring.
In simple terms, the President’s refusal to doing national business with Koffa is like giving up to be grilled by his colleagues like the case of Pilate who found no fault in Jesus but also could not set Him free. On the other hand, working with Koffa will send a clear message to the majority bloc and confirm the legitimacy of the Speaker as the Man-In-Charge (MIC) whom the government and her partners have recognized and will do business with.
The ‘clean hand’ play of President is not helping the process and also not in the interest of the Liberian people. Lest he forget, it will be upon him if this crisis is not resolve in enough to pass the national budget and plan for his State of the Nation Address (SONA) in January of 2025.
I urge the President to stop playing Pontius Pilate with Koffa and the Liberian people and take charge of the matter for the smooth running of the state. The President’s pretense not to submit the budget to Koffa in the name of the crisis speaks volume as to his position in the case.
*The thought of the son of a professional Kru woman.
