As The Allegation Of US$8,000,000 Unaccounted Hangs Around Incumbent Speaker Richard Nagbe Koon?
By Our Staff Writer
There was a devastating civil war in Liberia that lasted for 14 years, the Capitol Building did not get burnt, but because of power struggles over the speakership of the House of Representatives, a group of disgruntle and unpatriotic individuals burned our National Assembly which we called Capitol Building joint Chamber. An illegal election was conducted and an illegal speaker inducted, thus bringing about one nation two speakers for the House of Representatives.
Though there have been problems at the Capitol Building in past years, the issues of power struggle, corruption, personal interest seeking and disorderliness became the focus of lawmakers in the country for eight months all in the name of change of leadership.
This became the talk of the time for Liberians, development partners and even for some foreign governments while the integrity of the country was being badly dragged to the point of public ridicule.
A certain group of them ganged up under the banner of the ‘Majority Bloc’ against the then Speaker Jonathan Fonati Kofa who was constitutionally elected as they unlawfully made one of Montserrado County’s Representatives, Richard Nagbe Koon a new speaker.
Koon is a stunt member of the current ruling establishment, the Unity Party. Their drama went before the Supreme Court of Liberia. The court declared their actions as being illegal but they did not care but they proceeded with the struggle for power.
Under the watch of the then purported Speaker Koon, the office of the then embattled Speaker Jonathan Fonati Kofa was burglarized, mainly on February 11, 2025 which is a National Holiday in Liberia known as the Armed Forces Day.
As I write this article, there is extreme hardship in the country. Government facilities in the country lack the necessary support with citizens living below the normal living standard.
Many Liberians go to bed without food, making them to sleep on empty stomach.
Hospitals and clinics across the country, do not have ordinary drugs like paracetamol and other first aid medications, least to say that they have any service that the citizens can really rely on, text books, well trained teachers, teachers’ salaries and even chalks are not available in schools.
In general, a majority of civil servants do not earn fitting salaries that can cater for their needs. In some instances, many of them can literally equate their monthly salaries to just something that is meant to transport them while they go to work but the salaries cannot handle most of their problems.
The necessary development projects like good farm to market roads, recreational centers for students, well organized scholarship programs that support students in and out of the country for advanced studies are all lacking but yet these crooks or lawmakers live in luxuries and benefit the country very little or absolutely nothing.
According to the history of Liberia, there is no record of a lawmaker or speaker of the House of Representatives being impeached for going against the realistic interest of the vast majority of the citizens that voted them but the lawmakers can refuse to go to work for the Liberian People’s money that is benefiting them on grounds that they have not gotten their cars, salaries, travel allowances and other benefits.
What a setback to the development and progress of Liberia.
Besides, they couldn’t allegedly account for US$8,000,000 in six months of illegal operations under Koon’s hijacked leadership before the resignation of Kofa, yet we pay them astronomical amount per month with all the acts of greed and gangsterism these individuals have done and continue to demonstrate.
Imagine for six months, Richard Koon illegally got all the benefits of a legitimate House Speaker only to resigned after the Supreme Court of Liberia final ruling in favor of embattled former speaker Jonathan Fonati Kofa who himself resigned and allegedly walked away with a hooping US$3,000,000 of the Liberian People’s money?
Richard Koon contested for the second time for the same position within six months, a position that is supposed to be contested for after six years according to Article 49 of the Liberian Constitution.
When it was finally realized that Koon illegally got all the said benefits of a speaker in the period of six months, he got rewarded by his colleagues with his re-lection to the speakership position without any restitution of the Liberian people’s money?
These crooks or lawmakers have embarrassed and inflicted psychological wounds on the people of Liberia and destroyed the country’s economy. All of these diabolical acts against the Liberian people are being done at the time Liberia is on a crusade of wish to occupy a non-permanent seat on the United Nations Security Council.
Just for their collective and individual egos, they have intentionally killed investors’ empathy for Liberia thereby leaving the citizens vulnerable.
They chose to conduct second speaker’s election in one legislative term, contrary to article 49 of the 1986 constitution which calls for the election of a speaker once in every six years tenure.
These acts of lawlessness being exhibited by the members of the House of Representatives have caused more damages and also undermined the reputation of Liberia, both locally and internationally.
There is a need for constitutional reform that will allow the rest of the representatives to remain in their counties of origin and work for the Liberian People with the exception of the speaker and the senators.
The reform should also consider making the position of a speaker to be contested for like the presidential position too. All the counties should have their local assemblies in their county capitals.
To be realistic, lawmakers make more money and benefits than many white-collar employees. There is a need for the constitution to set a benchmark for lawmakers’ pay. For an individual to earn a huge salary per month like the lawmakers, it is astronomical in a struggling economy of Liberia.
As I conclude this article, and considering the attitudes of the lawmakers that are contrary to the essence of the actual reasons for which they were elected and the setback they have caused for the country while they hugely benefit at the expense of the suffering masses of the Liberia people, are they lawmakers or crooks?
Liberians, what do you think about them? Please have your say by commenting below.
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