‘Speaker’ Koon Stresses Commitment to Unity By Fiona Benson Kollie
The House of Representatives Monday, 13th January, began its second session of the 55th National Legislature with the current Speaker, Richard Nagbe Koon, reaffirming his commitment to unifying the House of Representatives following their impasse. Speaking during the opening, held at Monrovia City Hall, Speaker Koon said it is with a profound sense of honour, duty and commitment, that he is playing the role in the opening ceremonies of the 2nd Session of the 55th Legislature of the Republic of Liberia, as mandated by Chapter Five, Article 32 (a) of the 1986 Constitution of the Republic as the Speaker of the Republic. ‘I remain thankful to God and history for this historic responsibility. Today is not only an eventful day, but an important moment for all of us to reaffirm our commitment to serving our people and country with the patriot’s heart’ Speaker Koon maintained. He further noted that together, they have the opportunities to redefine their path, strengthen unity, and to uphold the core values that bind them together as a single unit, as to compare Lawmakers to execute their responsibilities in the best interest of the Motherland.
Speaker Koon also recounted the recent challenges faced which include the leadership impasse at the House of Representatives and the unfortunate fire incident that damaged the Joint Chambers at the House of Representatives, stressing that it is a clear indication that the responsibility to promote peace, advance unity and restore trust cannot be overemphasized, maintained that therefore, the beginning of this second session should mark a turning point, in order to demonstrate their unwavering commitment to transparency, accountability, and equitable development for all Liberians across the country. He also said it is about time they take the moment to look inward, as the strength of the Legislature lies in its ability to unite and reconcile for the greater good of our 73 districts, urging each of them to prioritize open dialogue and cooperation in addressing their differences and aligning collective efforts, as to enable them fulfill the important duties of this great institution which include making laws, providing oversight, and representing citing that It is through such unity that they will meet the expectations of the Liberian people whose mandate brought them here today. Moving forward, Speaker Koon expressed profound gratitude to his colleagues for the enactment of the 2025 Financial Budget, amounting to $880,661,874, stressing that it is an important milestone, mentioning that the budget is set to prioritize sectors that are critical to the citizens’ welfare including healthcare, education, road and infrastructure, agriculture and food security and water and sanitation. The Speaker also informed the gathering that this year’s budget seeks to foster economic growth, improve service delivery, enhance social infrastructure, and create opportunities for all Liberians, disclosing that It is their duty to ensure that these resources are not only distributed equitably, but also utilized effectively to provide meaningful and lasting benefits to the Liberian people. ‘It is my stern belief that Liberia’s strength is amplified through its relationships with regional and international partners. Therefore, improving our relationships with countries within the sub-region and the continent and with regional bodies such as ECOWAS, AU and the Pan-African Parliament, among others, remain a key component of our leadership. By fostering collaboration, we will definitely reposition ourselves to increase the role we play in ECOWAS and AU and their respective Parliaments. That way, Liberia will be able to actively contribute to discussions on regional and continental peace and security and sustainable development. I like to report to you that as a result of the invitation extended to us by the government and people of the Republic of Ghana, we were able to hold fruitful bilateral discussions with our counterpart in Accra. These discussions will soon witness an experience sharing scheme between Liberia and the sisterly Republic of Ghana, where members of this House will be supported to exchange learning with Ghana. Furthermore, expanding our engagement with global parliamentary networks will reinforce Liberia’s presence in critical global discussions, thus enhancing our influence on issues that matter most to the globe’ he lamented.
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