Monrovia – Upon the resumption of the House of Representatives of the 55th Legislature for its third session, Speaker Richard Nagbe Koon announced the installation of CCTV Surveillance and Biometric Access Systems at the House Wings of the Legislature.
By Emmanuel Weedee-Conway
Speaker Koon informed lawmakers at the opening of its first plenary sitting of the second session on Monday, January 12, 2026 that this giant step aims to safeguard the institution.
“The contractors have informed us that the chamber will be prepared for usage by the end of the first quarter. We have also installed modern security features, including CCTV surveillance and biometric access systems, to safeguard this institution,” he told the gathering.
Electoral Redistricting – Setting the Threshold Bill
Guided by the report of the Committee on Elections, which is currently under reconsideration following a motion by Representative Momo Siafa Kpoto of Lofa County District #3, Speaker Koon sees the necessity to fulfill the constitutional provision of setting the threshold for the delineation exercise to be conducted by the National Elections Commission.
Recognizing the sensitivity of this instrument, the Speaker is hopeful that the plenary will make a final, principled determination, balancing constitutional obligations with political prudence.
Effort To Restore Unity
Following a difficult period in the life of the Legislature, he recalled that the foremost priority was to restore unity and cordiality among members of the House.
In so doing, he recalled that the leadership made deliberate efforts to heal divisions, reaffirm mutual respect, and recommit itself to the collective mission of national service. We appreciate all of you for your openness and sincerity to this process.
Transparency And Accountability
In its quest to strengthen transparency and accountability, he disclosed that findings from the General Auditing Commission or GAC recently conducted systems audit will serve as a foundation for a comprehensive, full-fledged audit, an important step toward institutional credibility.
“Also working closely with the Committee on Public Accounts, we supported the establishment of an Internal Audit Department, reinforcing financial discipline and strengthening oversight mechanisms within the Legislature.”
What Has Changed
Under his stewardship of the House, Speaker Koon most importantly catalogued improved timeliness of sittings to enhance legislative discipline and strengthen public confidence as well as improved relations between the Legislature and the Executive in promoting constructive engagement in the national interest as major achievements.
At the same time, the clearing of significant backlog of bills, many of which had languished in committee rooms for years, thereby revitalizing our legislative agenda are captured among the achievements of the current House leadership.
Going forward, he asserted that the House sitting in its current session intends to complete several key legislative priorities including the New Elections Law.
The New Elections Law is in keeping with the ECOWAS Protocol on Elections, electoral laws and guidelines that must be finalized at least one year prior to elections.
This legislation, the Speaker indicated, is essential to ensuring credibility, predictability, and public trust in our democratic process. We hope to conclude on this important instrument.
Staff Welfare
One of the long-standing hurdles has been the issue of transportation faced by House employees and some Directors; hence, this was a major deliverable achieved the House’s leadership headed by Speaker Koon.
This intervention, he bragged, has improved punctuality and efficiency.
Through institutional rationalization, he disclosed dormant departments were deactivated, while underperforming but essential units, particularly the Maintenance Department, were strengthened to enhance operational effectiveness.
“In our meeting with the staffers last Friday, several concerns were raised, ranging from salaries to welfare. We will work with the leadership and report to plenary on ways we think we can adequately address these concerns. We have also empowered our Legislative Budget Office, improving technical support to members in budget analysis, oversight, and informed lawmaking.”
Diaspora Legislative Caucus
Through consultation and consensus, Speaker Koon revealed that plans are underway to launch a Diaspora Legislative Caucus.
This initiative, he believes, will mark an important step toward enabling Liberians abroad to directly participate in national elections through voting.
“In the coming weeks, we look forward to engagements with proponents of this bill to further elaborate before plenary. As we embark on this Third Session and look ahead to 2026, we do so with renewed purpose, confidence, and optimism.”
Strengthening Regional and International Engagements
Beyond domestic legislative reforms comes a plan to strengthen the House’s regional and international parliamentary engagement.
In this regard, the Speaker maintains that the House will work closely with the relevant authorities to secure budgetary allocations necessary to settle outstanding obligations owed to regional and international legislative bodies.
The Speaker is confident that this will ensure the restoration and protection of Liberia’s full participation and voting rights, thereby enhancing our voice and influence in multilateral parliamentary forums.
Several Lawmakers Absent
The House of Representatives returned from its normal legislative breaks for the first quarter of the third session on Monday, January 12, 2026 with 19 members of that august body in abstention.
This comes on the heel of different contestations among lawmakers, particularly so when a bloc of some influential members operating under the banner “The 55th Legislative Reformist Movement” escalated pressure on the leadership of the House of Representatives.
A total of 24 lawmakers went on to threaten the boycott of the opening session and the President’s State of the Nation Address (SONA).
They also openly threatened the removal of the House due to growing dissatisfaction among members for unfulfilled benefits owed to them, improper treatment of Central Administration staff, personal staffers, and Plenary Secretariat employees in relation to recent salary adjustments.
Though 54 members were present to constitute the day’s sitting, 19 others were absent on the heel of their pronounced dissatisfaction and allegation linking the Speaker to bigamy.
Combating Systemic Corruption
Meanwhile, in a sidebar interview with Bong County Electoral District 3 Representative, Josiah Marvin Cole emphasized his commitment to increased oversight and more rigorous accountability within the government, particularly at the level of the House.
He vowed to hold the House leadership to higher ethical standards so as to ensure transparency and reform.
“We want to do more than what we did in the last sitting, and we are going to be more robust, and we’re going to make sure that the leadership of the House feet will be held to the fire to make sure that they do the right thing. The issue of corruption is going to be dealt with systematically, and we will make sure that the leadership is held to account for what happens in the House of Representatives. So, we are going to be more than what we have been before. We will be tougher, and we are going to be more concise and more decisive.”
The post Liberia: House Speaker Koon Announces Installation of CCTV Surveillance and Biometric Access Systems To Safeguard Institution appeared first on FrontPageAfrica.
Leave a Reply