-Rep. Foko throws House in the mud, amid lawmakers’ keh-keh protest
By Jerromie S. Walters
Montserrado County District #9 Representative Frank SaahFoko on Tuesday, July 2, 2024, caused a stir in the House of Representatives of the 55th Legislature after he accusedmembers of the august body of seeking their personal aggrandizement and ignoring the plights of Liberians.
During the 14th Day Sitting of the 2nd Quarter of the 1st Session of the House of Representatives of the 55th Legislature, Tuesday, Representative Foko expressed his disappointment in his colleagues, particularly targeting the Speaker of the House. He accused them of being greedy and only interested in making money, rather than serving the people of Liberia. He went on to threaten to disrupt an upcoming session using thongs.
Foko’s action was displayed after scores of his colleagues went to work using keh-kehs (Trycycle) earlier on Tuesday, as a protest and call for the Executive to ensure that their benefits are given. Enraged, Foko told plenary: “I’m disappointed. I’m disappointed in the Speaker. Your (You) don’t respect the Liberian people we will not respect you. Your (You) very greedy people. Your (You) are just here to make money. Thursday we will not sit down here. I will put your (Legislators) in the news.” His anger appears to have steamed from previous decisions by the House which he believes were unorthodox. Representative Foko thinks the House is proceeding wrongly.
The Montserrado County District #9 Representative’s outburst led to his premature exit from session after he was asked by the presiding (Deputy Speaker Thomas P. Fallah) to leave. Foko was frowned upon by scores of his colleagues, as they criticized his approach, and called it unprofessional and disrespectful.
Representative Frank Saah Foko is a member of the former ruling Coalition for Democratic Change (CDC). His ascendancy as a lawmaker was paved by his service as Special Assistant and Chief of Office Staff to the late Representative Munah E. Pehalm Youngblood at the 54th National Legislature.
The keh-keh protest
The keh-keh protest at Liberia’s Capitol Hill on Tuesday saw a group of House of Representatives members, including Representative Yekeh Kolubah, Jacob Debee, Sumo K. Mulbah, and Zinnah Norman, arriving in tricycles to demand the release of funds for their benefits, including vehicles.
This protest was flared by House Speaker Cllr. J. Fonati Koffa’swarning in June about the Ministry of Finance’s failure to release necessary funds, despite the Liberia Revenue Authority exceeding its revenue target by nearly US$8 million. Speaker Koffa expressed his frustration at the situation where lawmakers have to borrow money for basic needs while the Senate receives full funding for its retreats.
He said, “It is astonishing that the Commissioner General would report over-performing on revenue, yet the House of Representatives cannot receive budgeted benefits.” Speaker Koffa criticized the Ministry of Finance for claiming there is no money for the House of Representatives, despite the over-performance of revenue. He highlighted the disparity between the funding of the House and the Senate and stated that if the issue is not resolved soon, the House may have to shut down.
He further stated, “We should not have to credit money from money changers to provide gas for our members. We should not lack the tools lawmakers need to work because the Ministry of Finance claims there is no money.” He lamented the disparity between the funding of the House and the Senate. “If the Commissioner General had said revenue was not performing, we would understand. But he says revenue is over-performing, yet the Senate is well-funded, while the House has only two months’ worth of benefits. We can’t even get money for a retreat and must beg NGOs for stationery. If we cannot resolve this soon, we will shut down the House of Representatives.”
Robust return
Since his return to Capitol Hill in January of this year, Frank Saah Foko has been vocal both against the government and in the House. Last month, he declined to attend the House of Representatives retreat, because he said funds used or the retreat should have been utilized for developmental purposes.
Barely two months in power, the president of Liberia, Joseph Boakai, was hounded with a threat of impeachment. Representative Frank Saah Foko threatened to proceed to the Plenary of the House of Representatives with several charges he claimed were solid grounds for impeachment. According to Representative Frank Foko, the president broke many laws during his short term in office, so he should have been impeached.
The Lawmaker’s charges against President Boakai included the Leader’s inability to attend international meetings, failure to host the Armed Forces Day celebration, and what he claimed to be the president’s illegal appointments of government officials. He also mentioned President Boakai’s intention to audit the Central Bank of Liberia as a violation.
Foko: “President Boakai has convinced us in one month that he can not steer the affairs of this country. The president has yet to represent Liberia out of Liberia. Armed Forces Day, the President wouldn’t go and have the program. There are lots of issues. They are breaking the law in many places, just making funny appointments. He just made an open statement that they should audit the Central Bank of Liberia.”
Alarming over strangulation
Since his (J. Fonati Koffa) ascendancy to the Speakership of the House of Representatives of the 55th Legislature, there has been noise about strives by the Executive to have him removed. Amid that, Montserrado County District #9 Representative Frank SaahFoko alerted the Public of alleged plans by President Joseph Nyima Boakai to strangulate the House of Representatives to anger lawmakers to remove the Speaker.
He wrote via his official Facebook page. “For over five months, members of the House of Representatives are yet to get their benefits as passed in the National Budget. While this unwholesome practice is ongoing, our colleagues from the Senate are enjoying every benefit and privilege due them, given they have a Pro tempore that’s a member of the Rescue Mission. To add insult to injury, Boakanites are running articles and disinformation that we CDCIANS are contemplating removing our own Speaker we elected and have explicit confidence in. How can this be possible?”
The Montserrado County District #9 Representative added: “The deliberate strangulation of the House is an attempt to disappoint lawmakers and make it appear that Speaker Koffa is responsible for all the misfortunes some members of the House are faced with. Why is President Boakai not giving our benefits, it’s concerning! The Executive cannot be holding unto our benefits and putting up candidates in our districts by giving.” This came days before House Speaker J. Fonati Koffa smelled strangulation by the Executive.
