CAPITOL HILL, MONROVIA: The Speaker of the 55th National Legislature, Cllr. Jonathan Fonati Koffa is to lead a legislative delegation to the United States from September 27 to October 12, 2024.
According to a release from the Speaker’s office, the task will include participation in three major events: the Union of Liberian Associations in the Americas (ULAA) 50th Anniversary, the Grand Kru County Development Association Convention, and the Association of Liberian Journalists in the Americas (ALJA) Annual Convention.
The release also pointed out that the delegation will arrive in the U.S. on Thursday, ahead of ULAA’s 50th Anniversary and Inauguration Program, where the Speaker will serve as the Special Guest Speaker.
The ULAA celebrations, running from September 27 to September 29, will feature various activities, including an Anniversary and Honoring Program, a General Assembly, an Inaugural Gala, and a Beach Party.
Notably, Speaker Koffa played a pivotal role in advocating for the Dual Citizenship Bill during Liberia’s 54th Legislature, when he chaired the Judiciary Committee.
Upon becoming Deputy Speaker in 2021, he passed the sponsorship of the bill to Rep. Acarous Gray and Sen. Darius Dillon.
Following the ULAA events, Speaker Koffa will serve as a Guest Speaker at the Grand Kru County Development Association Convention in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, from October 4 to October 6, 2024.
The convention, themed “Driving Sustainable Development and Progress in Grand Kru County,” will focus on the region’s economic and social growth.
Grand Kru County, with a population of about 109,000, remains one of Liberia’s most impoverished and underdeveloped areas, represented by just two electoral districts.
On October 12, Speaker Koffa will address the Association of Liberian Journalists in the Americas (ALJA) Annual Convention and Benefit Banquet, to be held at St. Cyprian Roman Catholic Church in Philadelphia.
As the Keynote Speaker, he will speak on the theme “Addressing Liberia’s Fragility Through War Crimes Accountability and Social and Economic Development.”
Cllr. Koffa has been a strong advocate for war victims and has championed the establishment of a war and economic crimes court in Liberia. Under his leadership, the House of Representatives passed the War and Economic Crimes Court Act during the 55th Legislature.
The ALJA Convention is expected to bring together international journalists of Liberian descent, alongside ALJA members in the U.S., for discussions centered on Liberia’s future.