Once again, Liberia finds itself mired in self-inflicted political embarrassment—not because our neighbors have failed us, but because our own leaders continue to sabotage the country’s fragile democracy with pettiness, arrogance, and willful ignorance of statesmanship.
The disgraceful incident that unfolded at the Capitol Building on March 24, when the Majority Bloc in the House of Representatives deliberately snubbed a high-level ECOWAS delegation over a trivial protocol squabble, is not just a national embarrassment—it is a dangerous act of legislative belligerence that puts our regional reputation, diplomatic standing, and internal cohesion at risk.
That seasoned statesmen like Prof. Ibrahim Gambari and Amb. Abdel-Fatau Musah—men who have brokered peace in nations riven by civil war and unrest—were disrespected over the failure to refer to Rep. Richard Koon as “Speaker” is both laughable and tragic. That this delegation, which traveled to Monrovia in good faith to help Liberians settle their own political mess, was turned away like uninvited guests because Koon was addressed as “Honorable” rather than “Speaker” is an indictment of the Majority Bloc’s priorities.
This is not how responsible lawmakers behave. This is how desperate political players, intoxicated by temporary power, lash out when they fear their illegitimacy might be exposed.
What Liberia witnessed on Monday was not an issue of protocol—it was a deliberate attempt to stonewall peace and frustrate a mediation process that the entire sub-region is watching closely. By demanding that ECOWAS reschedule its visit to accommodate Koon’s ego, the Majority Bloc has sent a clear message: it values titles over truth, face-saving over fact, and control over constitutionality.
Let us be brutally honest: the legitimacy of Richard Koon’s speakership is still being contested—not only in the Supreme Court of Liberia, which is expected to rule on the matter in days, but also in the eyes of ECOWAS, whose Parliament has already rebuffed Liberia’s dubious attempt to replace sitting members of the regional body without due cause.
So, the Majority Bloc’s protestations about “proper notification” and “disregard for the Speaker’s authority” ring hollow. What authority? That which has been snatched in broad daylight through procedural ambush and political muscle-flexing? Or that which ECOWAS itself refuses to recognize as legitimate?
This is not only reckless—it is treasonous in tone and intent. Are we to interpret this as an open declaration that the Bloc is shopping for allies outside ECOWAS in anticipation of a regional showdown? Is Liberia now being held hostage by a faction in the House that would rather align with unknown “friends” than resolve its crisis under the guidance of a trusted regional institution?
This behavior is not just immature; it is perilously close to subversive.
Let us remind the Majority Bloc: Liberia is a founding member of ECOWAS. This is the same regional body that stood by us during our darkest days—when blood soaked our streets, when warlords held sway, and when this nation was on its knees. For ECOWAS to now be met with disrespect, delay, and defiance by the same institutions it helped restore is not just ingratitude—it is an act of diplomatic sabotage.
We, at The Liberian Investigator, call on the Majority Bloc to retract its poisonous posture immediately and engage the ECOWAS delegation in good faith. This is not a time for partisan pride or name-tag tantrums. It is a time for maturity, responsibility, and an unflinching commitment to national stability.
The Liberian people are watching. So is the region. So is the world.
History will not be kind to those who chose vanity over vision, posturing over peace, and pride over patriotism.
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