Monrovia– Nimba County District #7 Representative and Political Leader of the Citizen Movement for Change (CMC), Musa Hassan Bility, has criticized the ongoing leadership turmoil in the House of Representatives, describing the legislature as “a serious joke” and warning that the recurring attempts to unsettle the speakership are “embarrassing” and harmful to governance.
By Jaheim T. Tumu-jaheim.tumu@frontpageafricaonline.com
Appearing on the Okay Morning Rush, Bility distanced himself and members of the Rule of Law Caucus from any effort to remove the current Speaker, Richard Nagbe Koon, insisting that the controversy is an internal crisis within the ruling bloc and not a matter for the broader House.
Recently, Deputy Speaker Thomas Fallah acknowledged a possible plot to remove the Speaker, stressing that there are existing frustrations and disagreements among members of the House, but noted that the situation has not escalated to the level of an attempted removal, as widely speculated.
“My position on speaker removal is that the Unity Party has installed its own speaker. I have absolutely nothing to do with removal,” Bility said. “He is the speaker now. I have absolutely no desire to remove him. I’ve never participated in anything that has to do with removing him.”
He added that lawmakers outside the ruling bloc have no role to play in what he termed a self-inflicted dispute. “If there’s an issue with him and his people, it’s none of our business. They should resolve it. We have played no part and intend to play no part,” he stressed.
Bility dismissed reports of renewed meetings and alleged resolutions aimed at removing the Speaker, saying the matter lacks seriousness and substance.
“In my mind, I think they have some internal disagreement in the rescue bloc, the so-called majority bloc,” he said. “They are just scaring each other. We don’t have anything to do with it.”
According to him, the tactics being employed amount to political pressure rather than genuine reform.
“They are just trying to blackmail him,” Bility stated, adding that such maneuvers only deepen instability in the legislature.
He made it clear that he would not support any move to remove House leadership. “Nobody can bring any resolution to me. I’m not going to sign any resolution. I am not going to be involved in the removal of speakers,” he declared.
The Nimba lawmaker warned that repeated leadership fights undermine governance and distract lawmakers from their constitutional responsibilities.
“Removing a speaker brings more disruption in the government than anything,” Bility said. “Going about it the same way that they are going about that I was against yesterday, and now to become part of that today, that would be hypocritical.”
Bility, who was supportive of former Speaker Fonati Koffa and against the unconstitutional removal of him during the Legislative impasse, said he personally reached out to Deputy Speaker Fallah in an effort to de-escalate tensions.
“I called the deputy speaker yesterday. I said, ‘Look, Fallah, we have had too much bad news. You have stabilized this place. If there are issues that your people have with the speaker, please try to sit down and resolve them,” Bility recounted.
Bility, assessing the current state of the House, expressed deep disappointment with what he called a collapse of seriousness and professionalism.
“I’m very disappointed. There’s nothing. The legislature is a joke — a serious joke,” he said, pointing to what he described as reckless lawmaking and disregard for due process.
He cited the handling of major legislation, including bills vetoed by President Joseph Boakai, as evidence of institutional failure. “The president of the Republic of Liberia vetoes a bill with lines to say, ‘I need more clarity on this,’ and you send that bill back with no explanation, no answer. It’s an embarrassment,” Bility said.
Bility urged House leaders to abandon what he termed “political theater” and refocus on oversight, hearings, and evidence-based lawmaking.
“They have abused and misused that political theater. They are using it to do all kinds of things,” he said. “All I want is to go and participate in the running of our government and begin our oversight.”
He warned that continued chaos sends the wrong signal to the public and undermines confidence in the legislature. “The chaos is hurting us. The chaos is sending a wrong signal,” Bility emphasized.
Bility’s comments add to growing public concern that the House of Representatives is drifting further away from its core responsibilities, consumed instead by internal power struggles, personal gains, and overnight wealth that, in his words, are “not serious” but deeply damaging to Liberia’s governance.
The post Liberia: Bility Slams Speaker Koon’s Removal Rumor as Blackmail, Cites Majority Bloc Power Struggle appeared first on FrontPageAfrica.
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