MONROVIA, Liberia — Speaker of the House of Representatives Richard Koon on Monday ordered legislative staff to vacate the Capitol Building and return home, citing unspecified security concerns, several employees at the Capitol told The Liberian Investigator.
The abrupt directive disrupted the regular functions of the House, leaving the legislative complex virtually deserted.
“We were told by the receptionists not to sign in and to leave immediately,” said one staffer, who spoke on condition of anonymity. “The building turned into a ghost town.”
The Spokesperson in the Office of the Speaker, Mr. Vehzelee Sumo, told The Liberian Investigator that Speaker issued no such directive. According to him, employees have their own security concern for which they did not turn up for work.
However, some personnel on the ground reported that employees exited both wings of the Capitol shortly after receiving the order, which they insist originated from the Speaker’s office. There was no immediate official statement from Speaker Koon.
“How do you think that all the workers here would be brave to leave work on a Monday morning if there was no such directive?” a staff asked rhetorically.
The alleged order comes amid mounting political tension following the arrest and detention of four lawmakers — former Speaker J. Fonati Koffa, Jacob Debee, Abu Bana Kamara, and Dixon Wlawlee Seboe — who are spending their second night at the Monrovia Central Prison. The lawmakers face charges including arson, criminal solicitation, and attempted murder in connection with the December 18, 2024, fire that gutted portions of the Capitol Building.
The Congress for Democratic Change (CDC) and allied opposition groups have announced plans to stage a protest at the Monrovia City Court, demanding the release of the jailed lawmakers. The demonstration is expected to attract large crowds and intensify an already volatile political atmosphere.
In a late Sunday radio appearance on Voice of Liberia, former President George Weah called on CDC partisans to rally at the courthouse in solidarity.
“I will be at the Monrovia City Court. I expect all CDCians to be there,” Weah declared.
In anticipation of possible unrest, security forces have increased their presence on Capitol Hill and deployed additional personnel around key government buildings across central Monrovia.
Editor’s Note: This news story has been updated from an earlier version published this morning.
Discussion about this post