By K. Ericson Sayee
Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives Thomas P. Fallah has urged his colleagues to return to legislative duties as the House addresses their concerns over delays in the payment of their legitimate benefits.
Fallah acknowledged that the concerns raised by members of the House are genuine and deserve actions to have it resolved, describing their demands for the payment of overdue benefits as “fair and justified”.
The Deputy Speaker assured the disenchanted lawmakers that under the leadership of Speaker Richard Nagbe Koon, efforts were being made to engage relevant government institutions to ensure the benefits are processed and paid without further delay.
The signals, according to him, from the ongoing engagements are positive, expressing confidence that the matter would be resolved soon, calling on the aggrieved Lawmakers to reconsider their decision and return to work while efforts are being exerted to address those demands.
The Deputy Speaker encouraged his colleagues to consider resuming their legislative responsibilities as the House enters the third quarter of its third session, emphasizing that their absence from the chambers will delay national progress, reminding them that the Liberian people elected them to legislate, provide oversight, and represent their interests.
Fallah stressed that their responsibilities to the public must not be abandoned amid the ongoing concerns, called for “patience, unity, and solidarity” among lawmakers, maintaining that while they have the right to demand their legitimate benefits, they must also demonstrate leadership by returning to work.
“The benefits will come, but the work of Liberia cannot wait”, Fallah stated, urging the aggrieved members of the House to prioritize their constitutional duties and continue contributing to the nation’s development.
On Friday, October 9, 2026, the legislature, particularly the House of Representatives, resumed duties on Capitol Hill, but majority members of the lower chambers refused to honor the opening for their unpaid benefits.
The aggrieved lawmakers vowed not to return to work unless they receive their owed benefits, blaming Speaker Richard Nagbe Koon and Deputy Speaker Thomas P. Fallah for not paying their benefits.
All eyes are on Tuesday, October 13, whether the Speaker and Deputy Speaker will have quorum to conduct business, as the final quarter of the legislature is one of the critical periods of legislative oversights, lawmaking, and representation.
Most especially, the Executive is currently crafting the draft national budget for Fiscal Year 2027 to be presented to the legislature for legislative oversights.
However, the Speaker’s office has already informed his colleagues about exerting all efforts to have their concerns addressed, disclosing that he had already met the Minister of Finance for the payment of their benefits.
He assured his colleagues not to stop the engagement until the matter is settled.