By: Julius Konton (Contributor)
Monrovia-April-16-TNR:House Speaker Jonatha Fonati Koffa has become the latest victim of the continuous fire disaster as his gigantic building in the Rehab community was razed by an evening fire.
Fonati Koffa, Speaker of the 55th Legislature residence is the latest victim of fire disaster.
With no actual cause or reasons behind the untimely incident, the modern white solid and beautiful flat top structure gradually went down to ashes as Fire fighters struggled to contain the heavy fire in the Rehab Community.
Speaker Kofa a resident of the Rehab Community is a close neighbor to President Joseph Nyuma Boakai and former President George Weah.
Since 2024, fire disaster continues to affect several homes, Churches, schools and businesses as victims continue to feel the pinch with some of them not having hope to restart their lives.
As concerns continue to mount over the multiple fire incidents mainly in Monrovia and its environs, there is a need for urgent attention from the government to help address the issue especially from relevant government line ministries and agencies.
Uncertain remain high in Monrovia following the fire outbreak Sunday evening April 14,2024, which gutted the home of Liberia’s House Speaker Cllr. Johnathan Fonati Koffa.
Several eyewitnesses told this paper that the fire which gutted the home of Speaker Koffa located in Rehab Community started from the back of the house uncontrollably before members of the Liberia Fire Service were called in with the help of neighbors but to no avail.
It remains unclear what actually caused the fire. So far, Speaker Fonati Koffa and family were evacuated from the scene leaving no casualty, however the home of the Speaker was seen blazing into the early hours of Monday morning.
As report on the fire outbreak spread, Spoon Network reported that the fire outbreak at Speaker Fonati Koffa’s residence could be linked to former House Speaker Bhofal Chambers’ maintenance personnel, who was working in the theatre at the home of Speaker Koffa when the fire broke out.
The whereabouts of the maintenance personnel only identified as Ben is still unknown minutes after the fire outbreak. It is reported that officers of the Liberia National Police are currently on a manhunt for Ben.
Sources informed this paper that the home of the Speaker is connected to a dedicated private transformer rather than the general lines of the Liberia Electricity Corporation, and wonder how the fire outbreak could be attributed to power outage.
Experts have warmed that there is unprecedented prospect for continued fire outbreaks in and around Monrovia, if nothing is done to regulate the LEC lines which have been reinforced recently with an additional 25 megawatts from the Ivory Coast.
According to experts, the power currently enforced from Cote Ivoire’ are not broken down sufficiently which might have led to continue fire outbreaks across Monrovia and its environs.
Recently, another fire incident destroyed six houses in the densely populated Township of West Point, including other cases of fire outbreaks in Central Monrovia, Old Road, Paynesville, the Garnesville community, Bush rod Island among others which have left the destruction of properties valued thousands of dollars with hundreds of citizens displaced.
