It all began with high hopes in the bustling corridors of the Capitol. When President Joseph Boakai took office, many Liberians were eager for a renewed spirit of statesmanship, a sense of stewardship that would heal the nation’s scars after years of uncertainty.
But today, as the drama drags on in the House of Representatives, and with news that Speaker Fonati Koffa—targeted and persecuted for being the regime’s “unwanted Speaker”—is weighing his resignation, we are forced to ask: at what cost are we letting Boakai have his Speaker?
Sitting in a packed seaside resort in early March, listening as a group of young professionals debated the Speaker saga. “All he wants is his own man,” one said, as the others nodded.
Their consensus? The process had become a farce. But few could have imagined how low things would sink.
More troubling than the battle itself is the way governance has been slowly eroded by the administration’s desperate need for legislative control.
Those who lead Liberia have always faced temptations: power, influence, and the allure of bending rules to achieve supposed greater goods.
Yet, six months into this high-stakes struggle, it is plain that Boakai’s administration has treated the House not as a co-equal branch of government but as a prize to be clinched at any price.
From the start, the regime made no secret of its desire to install a ruling party Speaker—ostensibly to “work harmoniously on the budget.” But this has translated more into engineering legislative coups, hastily approving contested budget, unleashing taxpayer funds to buy influence, and intimidating opponents.
How else do we explain state-funded campaigns to sway lawmakers, or the openly unconstitutional maneuvers that brought the House to a standstill?
While the President claims to champion rule of law, peace, and anti-corruption, in practice he is presiding over one of the most chaotic and reputation-damaging episodes in Liberia’s political history.
Let’s be plain: The forced siege on Speaker Koffa, once praised for his legal acumen is nothing more than a campaign of character assassination and political strong-arming.
The same President who was once lauded as a negotiator, a peacemaker, and a tolerant statesman now stands accused of bulldozing institutional norms and discarding the constitution for fleeting political advantage.
Instead of dialogue, we have witnessed intimidation. Instead of rule of law, raw executive muscle.
If the rumors are true and Koffa is stepping down, let’s all take a deep breath and let Boakai have his Speaker.
Perhaps then, Liberia can move past this period of legislative gridlock that is threatening the stability and peace of the nation-state. But we must not forget the toll exacted along the way: a battered House, a disillusioned public, and a presidency that swapped probity for expediency.
The lesson is clear, and I hope President Boakai hears it: The legitimacy of government is built not on victories won at any cost but on respect for process, pluralism, and the rule of law. We can only pray that next time, those values are not so carelessly set aside in the scramble for power. Let Boakai have his Speaker!
