Published: December 23, 2024
Monrovia – In the wake of a deepening legislative crisis, embattled House Speaker J. Fonati Koffa has fiercely criticized the withholding of salaries and benefits for seven suspended lawmakers and their staff, calling the action not only illegal but also a blow to families during the holiday season.
The affected lawmakers—Abu Bana Kamara, Sr., Alex S. Noah, Edward P. Flomo, Eugine J.M. Kollie, Frank S. Foko, J. Marvin Cole, and Zinnah Norman—found their December pay rerouted to the government’s consolidated account. This move, initiated by the Majority Bloc in the House of Representatives, has sparked outrage and heightened tensions in the already divided legislature.
Taking to Facebook on Sunday, Speaker Koffa lambasted the Majority Bloc’s actions, accusing them of undermining democratic principles and disregarding the welfare of ordinary Liberians. “When they were illegally removing the Speaker, many in the political class said, ‘it’s a numbers game; leave the legality, it’s political, move on.’ Now they have illegally seized the salaries and benefits of their colleagues and staff during the Christmas season. Is this the numbers game too?” he questioned.
The embattled Speaker expressed dismay at the human toll of these decisions, emphasizing their impact on families left without income during the festive season. “Scores of families are without Christmas because of this numbers game whose rules are set by the ‘majority.’ Is this the country we want?”
Drawing from the haunting words of Holocaust survivor Martin Niemöller, Koffa warned against political oppression and the perils of remaining silent in the face of injustice:
“First they came for the socialists, and I did not speak out—Because I was not a socialist.
Then they came for the trade unionists, and I did not speak out—Because I was not a trade unionist.
Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out—Because I was not a Jew.
Then they came for me—and there was no one left to speak for me.”
Budget Passage Sparks Legal Debate
Koffa’s criticism comes on the heels of the Majority Bloc’s controversial passage of the 2025 national budget, valued at $880 million. With a quorum secured despite the suspension of seven lawmakers, the Majority Bloc pushed through the budget amid allegations of procedural violations.
Koffa labeled the passage as ultra vires, a legal term meaning beyond constitutional authority, asserting that the move reflects an erosion of legislative integrity. His declaration highlights the ongoing impasse within the legislature, which persists despite a Supreme Court ruling directing lawmakers to resolve their internal disputes.
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