Monrovia – President-elect Joseph Nyumah Boakai has reportedly extended a gesture of support to lawmakers, proposing a US$25,000 development fund for each representative’s district. The announcement was made during a gathering at his Rehab residence on Tuesday, raising speculations about potential influence on the upcoming vote for his favored candidate, Richard Nagbe Koon, over the current Deputy Speaker, Cllr. J. Fonatti Koffa.
By Lennart Dodoo, [email protected]
While the meeting was held without the presence of the media, Grand Kru District 1 lawmaker Nathaniel Bahway in a separate press conference on Thursday was quizzed about the offer from the President-elect. He said, irrespective of the fact that the offer comes in the wake of the pending Speaker election, he does not see the promised US$25,000 as bribery, rather as a development fund.
“I was there when the old man [Joseph Boakaio] made it clear that it he would be giving US$25,000 to each individual [lawmaker] so that they will see reason and support their district… I have not received it yet but I’ll receive it,” Rep. Bahway said.
When contacted for comments concerning the promised US$25,000, the Director of Political Affairs in the Office of the President-elect, Mo Ali, told FrontPageAfrica that the President-elect only offered to give lawmakers US$5,000 each for the celebration of the inauguration in all 73 districts in the country.
“In the meeting, JNB said that the inaugural celebration would take place in all districts and that during those celebrations, he’s raising money to give US$5,000 to each district and he would like for the lawmakers from those districts to be involved with it,” Ali said.
Ali also mentioned that Rep. Bahway apparently heard the US$5,000 as US$25,000.00.
At the same time, the Secretary General of the Unity Party, Mr. Amos Tweh told FrontPageAfrica that President-elect Boakai did not promise anyone a dime. He stated that, the President-elect only encouraged newly minted representatives to support the candidate of his choice for Speaker of the 55th Legislature.
“He believes Hon. Richard Nagbe Koon has the requisite Legislative experience and knowledge to make the legislature very viable. President-elect JNB urged all representatives to be independent and ensure effective checks and balance in line with their constitutional responsibilities of lawmaking, oversight, and representation,” Tweh stated.
While the President-elect is promising lawmakers huge sum of money reportedly for the inauguration in their respective districts, the Inaugural Steering Committee is still struggling with putting the event together as the Government is yet to release any of the proposed and approved US$650,000 for the inaugural ceremony slated to be held on January 22 at the Capitol.
A member of the Inaugural Steering Committee confirmed the lack of progress, stating, “I can confirm that as of today’s [Wednesday] afternoon, the government is yet to set up the account for the US$650,000 to be transferred to, so, yes, we have not received any funding,” while choosing to remain anonymous.
The source further disclosed that the outgoing government failed to allocate funds for the inauguration in the 2023 budget. Instead, the allocation was made in the 2024 Budget, which is pending approval by the Legislature. Consequently, vendors are being urged to prefinance their supplies for the ceremony.
Some pundits have expressed concerns over the source of the money Amb. Boakai promised the lawmakers for the celebration of the inauguration in their respective districts. “Let’s assume and hold it constant that it is not US$25,000 as mentioned by Rep. Bahway, rather it is US$5,000 as clarified by Mo Ali, US$5000 to each district would sum up to US$365,000. This is already more than half of the entire budget for the inauguration which the Inaugural Steering Committee is yet to receive. So, where is the money coming from?”
Another lawmaker who asked for anonymity said, “The President-elect is only acting smart. why he didn’t wait until after the Speaker election before calling members of the House to his residence and promising to give them money for their so-called district projects and he expects us not to see it as bribery?”
The election for the Speaker of the 55th Legislature would be taking place on Monday, January 15 and it is be fiercely contended between the current Deputy Speaker, Cllr. J. Fonati Koffa of Grand Kru County District 2, a member of the outgoing CDC and Rep. Richard Nagbe Koon, who represents District 11, Montserrado County.
Last December, Deputy Speaker Koffa garnered support from 42 of the 73 lawmakers who signed a petition to endorse him as the Speaker of the 55th Legislature.
“We, the undersigned Representatives hereby declare Representative Jonathan Fonati Koffa as Speaker of the House of Representatives and urge our fellow Representatives to support this resolution as a demonstration of our shared commitment to fostering effective and principled leadership within the 55th House of Representatives,” the lawmakers said in the resolution they signed in affirmation of their support for Rep. Koffa.
In the House of Representatives, the CDC has 25 lawmakers, independent candidates are 18, while the Unity Party has 10 lawmakers. The remainder is spread across the CPP, MDR, LINU, ALICOP, among others.
The Deputy Speaker’s influential standing and legal expertise have significantly enhanced his sway, both nationally and internationally. In July last year, Cllr. Koffa graced the cover of the African Leadership Magazine’s July edition, recognized as the “Outstanding African for the Month of July.” The magazine lauded his legislative excellence, attributing his works to making a positive impact in Liberia.
Representative Koon, on the other hand, is a Unity Party lawmaker, who was reelected during the October 10, 2023, presidential and legislative elections.
As a candidate, he says if he’s elected, he will slash the Speaker’s annual budget of $2.5 million by 20 percent. Rep. Koon of President-elect Joseph Boakai’s Unity Party says some of that money can be used to meet the needs of members and their constituents. “Members’ welfare needs to be prioritized by decreasing the US$2.5 million speaker’s budget by 20% and transferring it to colleagues’ budget line for their smooth operation. “Our staff welfare will be our priority, and so a portion of the cut will go towards them”. Representative Koon told the Voice of America’s DayBreak Africa that if elected, he will initiate reforms for the purpose of restoring the lost image of that legislative body. At the same time, the Montserrado County District #11 lawmaker said he envisions a much more legislative body that promotes accountability and transparency. But his candidature is also marred by speculations that he is expected to be the stooge of the President if he is elected as Speaker.