Liberia: Koijee Hails Supreme Court for Boycotting President Boakai’s State of the Nation Address

Monrovia – Jefferson Koijee, th Secretary General of the Coalition for Democratic Change (CDC) has praised the Justices of the Supreme Court for boycotting President Joseph N. Boakai’s second State of the Nation Address (SONA), describing their absence as a patriotic and nationalistic move to “prevent constitutional chaos.”

By Jaheim Tumu – [email protected]

In a social media post, Koijee stated, “By abandoning today’s State of the Nation Address, the Court has averted what could have been a dangerous precedent and preserved the stability of our democracy.”

Earlier on Monday, the Supreme Court issued a statement clarifying that Chief Justice Sie-A-Nyene G. Yuoh was absent due to her participation in the Annual High-Level Meeting of Chief Justices and Presidents of Supreme and Constitutional Courts from Africa and the Middle East in Cairo, Egypt. However, no explanation was given for the absence of the other Justices from the SONA.

The boycott comes amid an ongoing dispute over the leadership of Liberia’s 55th Legislature. A faction within the House of Representatives has elected Montserrado County District #11 Representative Richard Koon as Speaker, a decision that has been legally challenged. The Supreme Court’s ruling on the matter did not provide a definitive resolution, with both factions interpreting the decision in their favor. The Court has not officially recognized Koon as the legitimate Speaker.

Public speculation suggests that the Justices’ absence was linked to the fact that the SONA was presided over by Majority Bloc Speaker Koon, whom the Boakai-Koung administration recognizes as the legitimate Speaker, rather than J. Fonati Koffa, the constitutionally elected Speaker, or his Deputy, Thomas Fallah.

Koijee further criticized President Boakai, stating that he would not be allowed to govern Liberia as his personal property. “Mr. Boakai is mistaken to think being tolerated to run the country equates to owning and personalizing government functionaries,” he said.

He also condemned what he described as an excessive deployment of police and military personnel, arguing that it reflects a lack of public confidence in the Boakai-Koung administration.

Koijee specifically accused Inspector General Gregory Coleman of leading a dysfunctional police force, citing the reinstatement of officers with questionable pasts. “The police force, rife with individuals of questionable integrity, such as Johnny Bolar Dean (Assistant Commissioner for Crime Services) and Sam Ballah (Deputy Chief Investigator, R2), who were previously dismissed for armed robbery and misconduct, reflects poorly on Inspector General Gregory Coleman’s leadership,” he stated.

He further warned that Coleman’s approach to law enforcement, which he described as “brutal and authoritarian,” could push the country toward unrest. “He (Coleman) has zero capacity to withstand full-scale chaos. Restoring such figures to positions of authority erodes public trust in our security institutions and undermines efforts to establish a safe and just society,” Koijee asserted.