Africa-Press – Liberia. Rep. Briggs-Mensah described the absence of formal notification as a sign of gross disrespect to the Legislature.
Bong County Electoral District #6 Representative Moima Briggs-Mensah has strongly criticized President Joseph Nyuma Boakai and House Speaker Richard Nagbe Koon for departing the country without officially notifying the Legislature of their respective foreign engagements.
President Boakai is currently attending the West Africa Economic Summit in Abuja, Nigeria—a three-day gathering of West African presidents, government officials, investors, and business leaders aimed at strengthening regional economies and promoting investment opportunities.
Speaker Koon, meanwhile, is reportedly on a working visit to neighboring Guinea. However, both high-ranking officials are being viewed as “absent without official leave” (AWOL) by some lawmakers, as no prior communication was presented to the House of Representatives concerning the purpose or details of their trips.
Raising the issue during the miscellaneous portion of Thursday’s session, Rep. Briggs-Mensah described the absence of formal notification as a sign of gross disrespect to the Legislature.
“Mr. Speaker, we are here reprimanding colleagues for not attending session, but the Speaker himself left without informing Plenary,” she said. “I also saw a photograph of the President traveling with a 14-man delegation, yet there’s been no written communication submitted to this body. As we speak, Plenary has not received any official notice.”
Briggs-Mensah emphasized that top government officials, especially the President and Speaker, should lead by example when it comes to upholding public service standards and respecting the Legislature’s role.
Responding to the concerns, Deputy Speaker Thomas P. Fallah, who presided over the session in Speaker Koon’s absence, disclosed that the Office of the Chief Clerk had received a communication concerning the Speaker’s travel, albeit belatedly.
“We’ve just been informed that the communication regarding the Speaker’s departure has come to the Chief Clerk. She has it now,” Deputy Speaker Fallah noted, prompting laughter from lawmakers and a round of the popular slogan, “Gbaku, you strong!”
The issue has sparked concerns among some legislators about the need for better coordination and respect for legislative procedures, particularly when senior government officials travel abroad.
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