By By: Staff Writer
Monrovia – Two members of the House of Representatives, Nimba District #9 Rep. Taa Z. Wongbe and Montserrado District #9 Rep. Frank Saah Foko Jr., have sharply criticized Deputy Speaker Thomas P. Fallah, accusing House leadership of misrepresenting their legitimate concerns as a fight for personal benefits while over US$5 million in constituency project funds remains unaccounted for.
The clash comes in the wake of a boycott on October 9, 2026, when several Representatives shunned the official hosting of flags marking the opening of the last quarter of the 2026 sitting, and instead held a separate meeting in Margibi County to press for what they termed unpaid benefits and development funds. It was against this background that Deputy Speaker Fallah issued a statement acknowledging that concerns about benefits are “genuine, fair and justified” and overdue, assuring that under Speaker Richard Nagbe Koon, efforts were underway to engage government institutions for payment, with positive signals.
Fallah, however, pleaded with colleagues to return to work, stating: “The Liberian people entrusted us with a sacred mandate – to legislate, to provide oversight, and to represent their voices… The benefits will come, but the work of Liberia cannot wait.”
In a fiery open letter titled “Enough is Enough. This Is Not About Our Personal Benefits,” Rep. Wongbe said he had refrained from public exchanges to focus on district development but was compelled to respond to what he called Fallah’s “deceitful and misleading” narrative. Wongbe said the crisis is about public resources, including over US$5 million budgeted for district projects to be implemented through LACE for roads, schools, clinics and benches, which he alleged is “nowhere to be found.”
Wongbe demanded a full documentary accounting of the funds – how much was appropriated, released, deposited, who authorized expenditures and what remains – and raised additional concerns including selective allocation of pickups to loyalists which some lawmakers dismissed as “junk” and “an advanced kehkeh,” unexplained deductions, alleged bank loans taken in the House’s name, and preparation of the 2026 Supplementary Budget without adequate Plenary consultation. He warned that failure to account could embarrass the government if the outturn exceeds the approved budget, as happened under the 54th Legislature.
Rep. Foko, in his own reaction, said benefits must not be selectively distributed and used as a political weapon. He questioned how leadership could claim to be going without benefits while undertaking huge donations across counties, constructing a NIMBO office at astronomical speed and allegedly buying pickups for a bloc, while other colleagues struggle to undertake basic gestures. He also questioned reports of US$21,000 allegedly paid to some lawmakers and called for transparency on who received what, insisting on equal treatment for all 73 districts.
