By Lincoln G. Peters
MONROVIA, October 14, 2026 – Nimba County District #9 Representative Taa Z. Wongbe has challenged Deputy Speaker Thomas P. Fallah over the ongoing leadership crisis in the House of Representatives, insisting that lawmakers’ demands for accountability are not about personal benefits but questions surrounding more than US$5 million allocated for constituency development projects.
In an open letter to Fallah on Tuesday, October 13, Wongbe accused the Deputy Speaker of misleading the public by portraying the dispute as a struggle over unpaid legislative benefits.
The letter, titled “Enough Is Enough: This Is Not About Our Personal Benefits,” followed Fallah’s social media appeal urging dissatisfied lawmakers to exercise patience while House leadership works with the Ministry of Finance to settle outstanding benefits.
Wongbe rejected that explanation, arguing that the dispute involves serious concerns about financial management, including the alleged lack of accountability for more than US$5 million in district development funds.
“The question is no longer simply when the money will come. The question is: What happened to the money, who authorized its use, and where is the accounting?” Wongbe stated.
He maintained that the funds were intended for development projects through the Liberia Agency for Community Empowerment (LACE), including road rehabilitation, school construction, clinic support and other community infrastructure.
According to him, the relevant budget lines have been exhausted without lawmakers receiving satisfactory explanations about the status of the projects.
He demanded a detailed financial report showing how much was appropriated, released, deposited and spent, who authorized the expenditures and what balance remains.
“The House leadership must provide a complete accounting of this amount,” he insisted.
Wongbe also raised concerns about unexplained deductions from lawmakers’ payments, reported bank loans or credit arrangements, selective allocation of vehicles and alleged inadequate consultation over the preparation of the 2026 Supplementary Budget.
He argued that lawmakers cannot effectively exercise oversight over the Executive while questions about financial accountability within their own institution remain unresolved.
The Nimba lawmaker further criticized what he described as selective distribution of pickup trucks, alleging that the leadership had sought to use vehicle allocations to secure political support.
He claimed that nearly 50 lawmakers boycotted the Legislature’s opening ceremony in protest over unresolved concerns.
Responding to Fallah’s appeal for patience and unity, Wongbe maintained that lawmakers’ return to regular legislative activities should not come at the expense of accountability.
“Patience cannot become an indefinite substitute for accountability,” he declared.
The dispute comes amid growing pressure on House Speaker Richard Nagbe Koon and Deputy Speaker Fallah from dissatisfied lawmakers demanding greater transparency in the management of legislative resources.
However, Wongbe’s allegations concerning the US$5 million remain unverified, and no documentary evidence establishing that the funds were missing or misappropriated was provided in the report.
The House leadership’s detailed response to the financial allegations was not available in the information provided.
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