By: Trokon Wrepue – trokon1992seokin@gmail.com
Monrovia- Liberia – House Majority elected Speaker Richard Nagbe Koon has rejected the Wednesday April 23, 2025 ruling of the Supreme Court which does not recognize his leadership as Speaker of the House.
Four out of the five justices on the bench of Liberia’s Supreme Court declared Cllr. J. Fonti Koffa as the legitimate Speaker of the House and said all actions taken by Koon and his majority members were illegal.
But moments after the Wednesday’s ruling, argued that Cllr. Koffa was removed from office by a resolution signed by fifty (50) members of the House of Representatives in full compliance with Article 49 of the Liberian Constitution and Rule 9(a) of the Rules of the House of Representatives, which separately requires that a Speaker, Deputy Speaker and any other elected officers of the House of Representatives shall be removed from office by a resolution of two-third (⅔) of the entire membership of the House of Representatives, which is forty-nine (49) of the seventy-three (73) members of the House of Representatives.
“It should be recalled that Hon. Koffa was removed from the Office of Speaker of the House of Representatives for reason of corruption, conflict of interest and mismanagement, which are prohibited by Article 90 of the Constitution and Rules 44 and 45 of the House of Representatives; and he was granted due process consistent with the 2007 Opinion of the Supreme Court in the case, Snowe v. House of Representatives.”
“It should also be recalled that no member of the House of Representatives, who signed the Resolution for the removal of Hon. Koffa from the Office of Speaker of the House of Representatives, ever filed a motion for reconsideration of that decision, as is provided for by Rule 17.4(q) of the Rules of the House. As such, this Resolution shall remain part of the records of the House of Representatives and no opinion or judgment of the Supreme Court can or will expunge or erase this Resolution from the annals of the House of Representatives.”
According to a statement released on late Wednesday, the “Leadership of the House of Representatives” informs the Liberian public that in rejecting the Supreme Court’s “atrocious and audacious” violation of the SEPRATION OF POWER doctrine and attempting to dictate to the Honorable House of Representatives who shall be its Speaker.
The statement from the office of Koon said, plenary shall continue to conduct the business of the House of Representatives without any deference or regard to the Supreme Court’s Opinion and Judgment; which is most unfortunate, but warranted under the circumstances.
“The Leadership of the House also informs the Liberian public that under no circumstance shall Plenary allow Hon. Koffa to preside over any Sitting or Meeting of the House of Representatives, he having been duly removed from the Office of Speaker of the House of Representatives and Hon. Richard Nagbe Koon, Sr. was elected and inducted into office as Speaker of the House of Representatives pursuant to Rule 10.1 of the Rules of the House of Representatives.”
“Furthermore, even though today’s Opinion and Judgment of the Supreme Court attempts to subvert, undermine and disrupt the House of Representatives and the governance of the Republic of Liberia, the House of Representatives shall continue to conduct the business of the Liberian people without any interruption and all laws, actions and other conduct of the House of Representatives, including enactment of the 2025 National Budget into law, shall continue to have the full force and effect of law.”
Meanwhile, the statement assured the public that the House is considering whatever legal and/or political right and recourse are available to Plenary; and when that determination is made, Plenary shall vigorously and assiduously pursue any such legal or political rights to protect the sanctity and integrity of the House of Representatives and secure the proper and effective governance of the Republic of Liberia.
“The Leadership of the House of Representatives reiterates that today’s Opinion and Judgment of the Supreme Court violates a cardinal principle of constitutional governance; which is the SEPARATION OF POWERS doctrine; and Plenary shall never ever succumb to any over-reaching and intrusion into the internal affairs of the House of Representatives where there is no clear violation of the Constitution. Surprisingly, the Supreme Court has today deviated from its own age-old standard not to delve into the internal affairs of the FIRST BRANCH OF GOVERNMENT unless there is a clear and unequivocal violation of the Constitution.”
