MONROVIA — As the ongoing struggle to remove Representative Fonati Koffa as Speaker of the House of Representatives intensifies, Bong County Senator Prince Moye has cautioned against scapegoating and using him as a conduit to implement the plan by some members of that August Body.
By Obediah Johnson, [email protected]
Senator Moye is currently the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Ways, Means, Finance and Budget.
He previously served in a similar position and as a Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives in the 54th National Legislature.
As former national campaign Chairman of the governing Unity Party (UP), Senator Moye stands accused of being one of the masterminds behind the removal of embattled Speaker Koffa.
Pro-Koffa lawmakers, including Bong County District Three lawmaker Marvin Cole, are claiming that Senator Moye and few other former representatives are initiating a plot to unseat Speaker Koffa due to the decision taken by the leadership of the House to conduct an audit.
But addressing a news conference at the Capitol Building in Monrovia on Monday, October 21, Senator Moye pointed out that though he does not intend to dignify the accusation, the gullibility of the Liberian society has compelled him to respond.
He noted that he doesn’t have any authority or intent to join forces with anyone or group of individuals to unseat Speaker Koffa.
“I want to categorically deny the claim repeatedly being made by some folks at the House of Representatives that ‘we are afraid of the audit of the House of Representatives because we served there before in leadership positions and that’s why we want to see the Speaker being removed.”
He said the passage of numerous financing agreements and national budgets by the current Legislature clearly shows the harmonious working relationship between both houses and there is no need to remove a Speaker for the passage of any other major instrument.
This, he said, clearly defeats the claim being raised by some legislators supporting Speaker Koffa that the UP wants him out as a result of his stance on the passage of financial instruments at the National Legislature.
Senator Moye stated that at no time any financing agreement or instrument has been stalled due to disagreement among members of both Houses.
On audit
Senator Moye was the Chairman of the House of Representatives Committee on Ways Means and Finance in September 2016. He served in the position for a little over one year.
He heaped praises on former Finance Minister Boima Kamara for upholding fiscal discipline during his tenure.
He said monies budgeted for the Legislature, particularly the House of Representatives and signed into law, passed through all legal processes for disbursement.
“When I left the Ways and Means Committee, I won again as Representative in 2018 and I was elected as Deputy Speaker. So, I ran that office with a budget under US$1M.”
Senator Moye disclosed that during his three years stay in the position, his budget as an opposition Deputy Speaker did not exceed US$1M until his ascendancy at the Liberian Senate.
He bragged that if he was involved into any shady deal at the House of Representatives during his stewardship, he could have been audited by the Coalition for Democratic Change (CDC) led-government of ex-President George Manneh Weah, particularly at the time he was serving as National Campaign Chair of the UP.
“Go and follow the Deputy Speaker’s budget trend from 2021, 2022 and 2023. What do I have to be afraid of in an audit for which I was not audited by a CDC Speaker, Deputy Speaker and I accepted the position of a National Campaign Manager for the leading opposition in this country (at the time)?”
Senator Moye welcomed the call for an audit by the leadership of the House of Representatives and promised to go through the process.
He wondered why the House couldn’t uncover “the dubious activities that I’m afraid of right now about audit and threw it at me when I was leading the opposition as a campaign manager.”
“Why was I not afraid at that time? I was not a back bencher during the campaign; I ran a very aggressive campaign. Why am I afraid now that I want to remove the Speaker? Is there any logic? I want the audit. I can’t be afraid that I executed what was given to me.”
Budget climbing
Speaking further, Senator Moye expressed concern over increment in the budgetary allocations of Speaker and Deputy at the House of Representatives.
He said members of the House should be concerned about seeking answers to the expenditure of over US$4M budget at that August Body, contrary to what was approved in the budget.
“Was it my line budget that US$4M or US$5M passed through? I challenge them. They (Representatives) have the burden to audit themselves. And they should audit like yesterday and that’s what we want. I challenge the leadership at the House of Representatives to institute an audit. They will find absolutely nothing on me.”
Not reconciliatory
Senator Moye wondered why some of the lawmakers supporting Speaker Koffa are not sounding reconciliatory in handling the matter.
“I thought when your colleagues have genuine reasons, those that want the Speaker to stay to be Speaker of the House of Representatives would be sounding reconciliatory in their approaches. If you truly love the Speaker that you could even kill yourself for, try to reach across the ark and talk to those that have issues outlined.”
Senator Moye added that though he cannot directly rule out that the UP does not intend to occupy the Speakership of the House, pointing fingers accusing him and others by Speaker Koffa’s supporters instead of finding a solution to the impasse is uncalled for.
He said the beauty of democracy favored Speaker Koffa against the UP at the time the election for the speakership was held void of any confrontation between political rivals.
“If you have your own problem, face and address it and leave Moye’s name. That’s a different Chamber and I’m here in the Senate to keep this place calm and show leadership. That’s what we do here. You people elected a leadership over there and so when there are issues, you address it there.”
“All of those spreading the lies that we want to remove the Speaker, and Moye is one of those, I want to say to the world that I have nothing to fear. We have passed three different budgets and more than 10 financing agreements and nothing has been stalled at the Legislature as a result of any in-house fight or what even.”
He, however, denied reports that subsidies were provided, through the national budget, to his private institutions, including the school and clinic owned by him in Bong.
Senator Moye admitted to consistently advocating for the provision of subsidies to faith-based institutions and others through the national budget.
He challenged those making the claims that he allegedly manipulated the budgetary processes
to provide the evidence.
“I don’t own any institution that the government has sent a dime to. All that I have done and is part of my work is to advocate for both public and some private institutions that are buttressing the government’s efforts.”
Not responsible
Senator Moye disclosed that as former National Campaign Chair of the ruling UP, he worked with many people from across Liberia and the diaspora to bring the UP to power.
He admitted to recommending some of those he worked with during the campaign period of the 2023 general and presidential elections for appointment in government.
However, Senator Moye stated that he cannot be held liable for the conduct of those he recommended to President Joseph Nyuma Boakai for appointment.
“These people are not my children; they are not people that live with me and I don’t know some of them. But we worked together because we wanted to have a change of government. If some of them are recommended, vetted and accepted in different institutions, they are there as employees of those institutions and appointees of the President.”
Senator Moye maintained that these individuals are under obligation to go by the guidelines and rules governing those institutions.
He said failing to do so, those he recommended for jobs may be made to subject themselves to investigation and subsequent prosecution where necessary.
He justified that he cannot be held culpable for the misconduct or financial malpractice of anyone he recommended for the job.
“Those that are working at the different institutions across government; whether they were recommended by me or they merit what we got-as true partisans and professionals, they are responsible for their conduct in those institutions.”
He further recognized the efforts being applied by supporters of the Boaki-Koung led-administration to checkmate public officials.
However, Senator Moye encouraged them to do “a little bit of due diligence” by providing the facts and evidence to substantiate their claims being made against some of those serving in government.
