The embattled Speaker of the House of Representatives, Cllr. J. Fonati Koffa, has challenged a letter from the Chief Clerk of the House of Representatives, Mildred Sayon, requesting that he vacates the office of the Speaker in order to allow the “majority bloc”-backed Speaker, Richard Koon, to move in.
Cllr. Koffa described Chief Clerk Sayon’s communication as an unlawful usurpation of the function and authority of the people’s elected representatives.
In response to the letter, which he said was transmitted to him via the WhatsApp account of Representative James Kolleh, Cllr. Koffa said, “The letter, supposedly written by you, purports to inform me of a decision by the plenary of the House of Representatives regarding the status of the office I am currently occupying,” Koffa’s letter to the Chief Clerk noted.
Cllr. Koffa said his understanding is that the plenary of the majority block voted on Thursday, January 30, 2025 to defer its committee report regarding this matter to Tuesday, February 4, 2025. “If this is the case, then your letter, purporting to obtain instructions from the plenary, is an unlawful usurpation of the function and authority of the people’s elected representatives,” the embattled Speaker observed.
Cllr. Koffa then urged the Chief Clerk to inform those who instructed her to write such a letter that they should obtain the office in the same manner as they obtain the speakership—illegally and with the force of the Executive.
“I believe, according to the so-called committee report, the Minister of Justice, Cllr. Oswald Tweh, whose interpretation of events got us to this point, has already outlined a pathway to complete the illegal act,” Koffa’s letter stated.
He vowed not to respond to anyone further on the matter.
Meanwhile, the Rules and Order Committee of the “majority bloc” has reportedly cited the Minister of Justice, Cllr. Oswald Tweh, to seek his advice on the matter, and he recommended that plenary formally notify Koffa and grant him five days to vacate.
According to information, if Koffa refuses to vacate the office, the “majority bloc” members intend to invite civil society actors and the media and remove his belongings from the office in their presence.