Fire guts Speaker’s house

Paynesville, Liberia: A Fire razed Speaker Kofa’s residence here just months after Montserrado County Senator Saah Joseph suffered a similar fate.

By Lincoln G. Peters 

Sunday, April 14, 2024: The home of the Speaker of the 55^th Liberian Legislature, Cllr. Fonati Koffa was engulfed in flames, leaving property valued at more than one million United States Dollars destroyed.

There has been no immediate report of casualty; the fire incident that occurred late Sunday, April 14, 2024, has caused Speaker Cllr. Jonathan Fornati Koffa and family to become the latest fire disaster victims in the country, especially outside Monrovia.

Dozens of residents of Rehab Community in Paynesville gathered at the home of Speaker Koffa’s in amazement as they painfully watched the premises gutted by fire.

Residents coordinated efforts to contain or prevent the fire, but severe fire from the flames prevented them. 

With no actual cause yet established for the saddening incident, the modern white solid and beautiful flat-top structure gradually razed to ashes as Firefighters struggled to contain the heavy raging flames in the Rehab Community. 

Speaker Kofa is a close neighbor of President Joseph Nyuma Boakai and former President George M. Weah. 

Based on the incident, a member of the former ruling Coalition for Democratic Change Council of Patriot, Foday N. Massaquoi, announced on his Facebook page that a mass peaceful gathering is slated for Friday, April 19, 2024.

According to him, the rally is intended to call President Boakai’s attention to the alleged witch-hunt against members of the CDC. 

“Cllr. Koffa, Liberian Speaker’s house is burning to arches, just a day after he criticized the Boakai administration’s insensitive and failed Assert Recovery Team. Please come out on April 19, 2024, to enable the government to answer these contradictions. It was Senator Saah Joseph; now it’s Speaker Koffa,” Foday writes. 

Since 2024, fire disasters have continued to affect homes, churches, schools, and vehicles across the country as victims endure pain without any hope of restarting their lives.

As concerns continue to mount over the multiple fire situations, there is a need for urgent attention from the national government to help address the situation and keep citizens and residents safe. Editing by Jonathan Browne