-Amid Capitol Hill Fire Outbreak
By Jerromie S. Walters
At 6:00 AM on Wednesday, residents of Capitol Hill and neighboring communities were jolted awake by a fierce blaze engulfing the Capitol—the seat of the Liberian Legislature. The fire rapidly intensified, and wreaked havoc on the building, particularly within the Joint Chambers and adjacent areas of the Capitol’s central wing. Tragically, this destruction heightened before the Liberia National Fire Service (LNFS) arrived on the scene shortly after 7:00 AM.
However, the LNFS, the Liberia Water and Sewer Cooperation, and the Liberia Petroleum Refining Company (LPRC) intervention led to the fire being subdued. However, as of press time, the LNFS had yet to determine the cause of the catastrophic incident.
Meanwhile, the LNFS later reported discovering a medium-sized chloride bottle containing gasoline in the Capitol’s garden. This revelation came after 9:00 AM, once state security had cordoned off the area.
Is Boakai Pointing Fingers?
Just hours post-incident, President Joseph Nyuma Boakai visited the site and addressed the media, emphasizing that destruction is not a solution to societal problems. He called on the Justice Ministry to launch a prompt investigation to ensure that those responsible are held accountable.
His words: “We are a poor country and people are trying to help us and other people are bent on destroying this country. [If] you have problem you have the rule of law. We have every way in this place to be able to listen to you. We will listen to you but we are not going to accept this. We ask the Ministry of Justice [and] all of the security apparatus to investigate this matter. People who are caught, we will deal with them and we will set the tone for all other people who when they get angry they burn down the police, they destroy… we will not allow it.”
The President further stated: “We just want to say we console the members of the first branch of government and we are in sympathy with them but this destruction will have to stop and we are not going to allow this to happen in this country. For people who have problems, we have the way to remedy the issues in this country. We are not going to settle for this. This is not a place for hooligans. This is a place for responsible people who are here to serve the Liberian people. This country is poor and I don’t care what they do we will build this country for the interest of [our] future generations.”
Koffa Responds
Mid-Wednesday, Embattled House Speakere Cllr. J. Fonati Koffa addressed the media, denying any connection between his recent post about the “Alamo” and the Capitol fire. “It has nothing to do with riot,” he clarified. Koffa who was isolated from the President and Vice President (while they sat ahead of the president’s engagement with the media) labeled the incident as unfortunate and urged the Justice Ministry to thoroughly investigate the matter.
Koffa emphasized that the fire outbreak is unrelated to the ongoing deadlock within the House of Representatives.
Political Saga at the House
The House of Representatives of the 55th National Legislature has been embroiled in a significant leadership crisis for over two months. Tensions escalated on October 17, 2024, when 47 members of the 55th Legislature attempted to oust Speaker J. Fonati Koffa, citing allegations of misconduct and administrative incompetence.
On Thursday, November 21, 2024, Representative Richard Nagbe Koon of Montserrado County District #11 was controversially elected and inducted as the “new Speaker” of the 55th Legislature of the Republic of Liberia. The Executive Branch and the Liberian Senate have since endorsed the self-styled “Majority Bloc,” further complicating the political landscape.
