The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Richard Nagbe Koon, has constituted a specialized committee to investigate and review matters surrounding the status and occupancy arrangements of the Pan African Plaza building currently occupied by the One United Nations (UN) in Liberia.
The committee is chaired by Rep. Michael Thomas, with Rep. Bernard Blue Benson Jr. serving as Co-Chair. Other members include Rep. Priscilla Cooper, Rep. Prince Toles, and additional lawmakers appointed by the House leadership.
The committee’s establishment followed a communication submitted to Plenary by Grand Gedeh County Electoral District #3 Representative Rep. Jacob Debee, who requested legislative inquiry into the legal and financial arrangements governing the occupancy of the Pan African Plaza by the United Nations.
In his communication titled “Inquiry into the Status of the Pan African Plaza Building Occupied by the One United Nations,” Rep. Debee expressed concerns regarding uncertainty over whether the occupancy arrangement is based on a rental agreement or a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the Government of Liberia and the United Nations.
Rep. Debee requested that Plenary mandate the following actions:
- If the building is being rented, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Liberia Revenue Authority (LRA), and the Ministry of Finance and Development Planning (MFDP) should provide documentary evidence of rental payments made by the United Nations to the Government of Liberia from January 2024 through December 2025.
Further, if the occupancy arrangement is based on a Memorandum of Understanding, the relevant government entity responsible for the agreement should submit a copy of the MOU to Plenary for review and record purposes.
The Grand Gedeh lawmaker also maintained that the inquiry is intended to promote transparency and accountability while ensuring that the Government of Liberia derives full benefit from its national assets and agreements with international partners.
The specialized committee has been tasked to conduct a comprehensive review of the matter and report its findings and recommendations to Plenary within one week.