By K. Ericson Sayee
The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Richard Nagbe Koon, has unveiled the “near completion” of the House’s main chamber alongside the offices of few colleagues, calling on the collective support of lawmakers to commence the reconstruction and rehabilitation of the joint chamber of the legislature.
Giving his opening remarks during the official resumption of legislative activities on Tuesday, October 13, 2026, in the chamber of the House of Representatives, Speaker Koon emphasized the significance of these projects, and that the rehabilitation and reconstruction of the joint chamber should be considered paramount in restoring dignity and functionalist of the scared facility.
“This is an important development in our collective effort to restore the dignity, functionality, and working environment of this institution.
Beyond the Main Chamber, plans are being put in place to commence the rehabilitation and reconstruction of the Joint Chamber, which was tragically gutted by fire on December 18, 2024″.
The Speaker appealed to all of his colleagues to support the undertaking, because, according to him, the restoration of that facility is a responsibility that is shared among members as an institution.
According to him, the Joint Chamber is not just a sitting hall, but rather it is the venue where the President of the Republic of Liberia formally delivers his Annual State of the Nation Address to the Legislature.
He added that it is also the largest seating and event space within the Legislature, providing the capacity to host major national functions, institutional engagements, and distinguished guests.
Koon noted that since the fire, the absence of this facility has imposed significant limitations on the operations and compelled the Legislature to secure external venues for events that would ordinarily be hosted within the premises of the Legislature, adding that it is neither ideal nor sustainable in the long run.
Restoring the Joint Chamber, the Speaker revealed, will therefore reduce these inconveniences, improve our institutional capacity, and reaffirm our commitment to preserving the infrastructure of the Legislature for present and future generations.
Koon advised Colleagues On Handling Disagreements
As the House of Representatives is marred by conflict since Friday, October 9, 2026, when bulk of the Representatives boycotted the opening of the Legislature, Speaker Koon encouraged members of the House to handle disagreements among themselves.
He agreed that despite all politicians and representatives from different constituencies, individuals from different schools of thought, interests, and convictions, Koon expressed that disagreements are inevitable, but he called for a healthy democracy that will promote the interest of the people who they represent.
“Indeed, a healthy democracy does not demand that we always agree. It demands that we know how to disagree constructively.
However, I am increasingly concerned about the tendency to take nearly every disagreement within this institution into the public domain. Matters that could be resolved through dialogue, consultation, and established procedures and internal mechanisms are sometimes publicized before reasonable efforts are made to resolve them”, Koon expressed.
He further revealed that every internal disagreement that becomes a public spectacle has consequences beyond the individuals involved, as it has the propensity to affect the image of the entire House and further erodes the confidence of our citizens in the institution they have all sworn to serve.
“The public does not always distinguish between an individual member and the institution. Consequently, when we publicly undermine one another or portray our disagreement as an institutional crisis, the credibility of the entire House suffers”, he said.
The Speaker said that he is not suggesting that members should surrender their convictions, remain silent in the face of wrongdoing, or abandon their constitutional responsibilities, every member has a right to speak, to question, to criticize, and to hold leadership accountable, but it is incumbent lawmakers to exercise their right with responsibility, professionalism, and respect for this institution.
The Speaker Appreciates Aggrieved Lawmakers
Speaker Koon expressed his appreciation to members of the “Reformist” for allowing him to attend their meeting aimed at resolving the current issues confronting the House of Representatives.
“I must appreciate the way in which you have handled matters in the past few days, leading to successfully having a quorum today to do the Liberian people’s work. Thank you for accepting me and for your presence at the Ocean View meeting that has led us here today”, Koon expressed his appreciation.
He reminded his colleagues to remember that their disagreements should never become more important than the work the people elected them to do, stating that ‘Let us talk to one another before talking about one another. Let us seek solutions before seeking headlines. And let us”.
Koon Proffers Constituency Reports For Accountability
The Speaker of the 55th Legislature has cautioned his colleagues to prepare a comprehensive report of activities they undertook during their constituency break, intimating that the report should capture their constituency engagements, progress made in addressing local concerns, challenges encountered, and matters needing the attention and intervention of the House Leadership.
He calls on them to ensure that the report is submitted to his office for review and action where necessary.
Disclosing the importance of the report, according to him, lawmakers are subject to public rating by civil society organizations, by journalists, and by citizens who have every right to assess their performance.
He says they cannot complain about negative assessments or negative reports if they have not documented their own activities or adequately communicated the work they are doing.
A properly documented constituency report, Koon explained that it provides evidence of their engagement with the people and gives the House a factual basis to respond to criticism, correct inaccuracies, and defend members against unfair or misleading assessments.
“It is not about shielding anyone from accountability. Rather, it is about ensuring that public judgments are informed by facts and that the contributions of members are properly recorded. I therefore urge you to take this seriously.
“Our accountability must not end when we leave the capital, and our responsibility to communicate with our people must not be left entirely to others”, Koon revealed.