“Mr. Speaker, I’m Afraid You’re Losing Your Gavel” — Dixon Seboe Warns Over Executive Defiance

Capitol Hill, Monrovia, Liberia: The authority of House Speaker Richard Nagbe Koon came under sharp public scrutiny Thursday after Montserrado County District #16 Representative Dixon Seboe warned that continued refusal by executive branch institutions to honor legislative summons could weaken the power and credibility of the Speaker’s gavel.

Seboe made the statement during plenary after the Liberia Revenue Authority, the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, the National Port Authority and GTM were expected to appear before the House of Representatives regarding concerns surrounding container tracking issues raised by Grand Bassa County Representative Clarence Banks. 

While GTM and the National Port Authority appeared before lawmakers, the Liberia Revenue Authority and the Ministry of Commerce reportedly failed to attend and did not provide formal communication to the House explaining their absence.

The situation immediately sparked concern among several lawmakers, with Seboe openly questioning whether the Legislature was gradually losing its authority over executive agencies and ministries. “How will it sound when the president call the legislature for a meeting and we refuse?” the Montserrado lawmaker asked during deliberations on the House floor.

In a direct message to Speaker Koon, Seboe warned that repeated tolerance for such conduct could erode the authority attached to the office of the Speaker. “The fact that government institutions, the LRA, Commerce and the NPA will be written by this body and they refused to come or even write, Mr. Speaker, I’m getting afraid that you’re losing your gavel gradually if you continue to accept the attitude of those who work in the executive,” he declared.

Seboe argued that the refusal of ministries and public institutions to respond to legislative invitations without explanation represents more than administrative negligence, describing it instead as a dangerous challenge to the constitutional oversight responsibility of the Legislature. According to him, the repeated actions by executive officials are beginning to undermine the dignity and influence of the House of Representatives.

The Montserrado County lawmaker further stated that the incident involving the Ministry of Commerce and the Liberia Revenue Authority was not isolated. He pointed to previous instances in which senior government officials allegedly failed to honor invitations from lawmakers, including Health Minister Louis Kpoto, Finance and Development Planning Minister Augustine Ngafuan and Deputy Foreign Minister Jeddie Armah.

“Those in the executive are feeling so much less of us here in my belief,” Seboe stated, suggesting that some members of the executive branch no longer see the Legislature as a strong and enforceable institution.

He also accused the Ministry of Health of repeatedly failing to appear before the House despite several invitations, warning that continued disregard for legislative authority without consequences could create a serious constitutional imbalance between the executive and legislative branches of government.

Seboe’s comments have intensified political debate surrounding the relationship between the Boakai administration and the House of Representatives, especially as lawmakers continue to demand greater accountability from public institutions. Political observers believe the confrontation could place increasing pressure on Speaker Koon and House leadership to assert stronger authority over government agencies that fail to comply with legislative mandates.