Monrovia – Liberian lawmakers have publicly admitted the federal government’s failure to curb drug trafficking and abuse, pledging to take pressing motion after receiving a petition from anti-drug campaigners throughout Thursday’s “Say No to Medication” march in Monrovia.
By Willie N. Tokpah, [email protected], and Obediah Johnson, [email protected]
The protest, organized by Involved Liberians Towards Drug Abuse, drew tons of of residents demanding harder legal guidelines, stricter penalties, and the political will to dismantle the networks fueling the nation’s drug disaster.
Of their petition, campaigners accused the federal government of permitting traffickers and sellers to function with impunity.
“Whereas the victims of drug dependancy waste away, the true enemies who’re the drug traffickers and sellers stroll free, shielded by weak legal guidelines, straightforward bail circumstances, lenient sentences, and accomplices in positions of authority,” the petition learn. “They revenue from the destruction of our youngsters, the tears of moms and dads, and the collapse of our communities. This can not proceed! We refuse to idly watch a whole technology perish!”
The campaigners, largely girls and youths- underneath the banner ‘‘SAY NO TO DRUGS CAMPAIGN’’, braved the heavy downpour of rain early Thursday morning to stage a peaceable protest in opposition to the proliferation of ghettoes and inflow of harmful substances together with Kush, Cocaine, Heroin, Italian White, amongst others in Liberia.
Within the petition, the campaigners claimed that Liberia is bleeding because of the inflow of unlawful medicine not solely in Monrovia, put different components of the nation.
“Our beloved Liberia is bleeding; communities live in concern, despair and hopelessness. Daily we witness the heartbreaking scars of our households and associates mendacity on the road corners like they’re dwelling lifeless.”
They noticed that lots of the victims of drug abuse are “younger folks with vibrant future”, together with medical doctors, lecturers and nationwide leaders, amongst others.
Gbarpolu County Senator Botoe Kanneh supplied a heartfelt apology to the protesters.
“We need to ask for forgiveness to you folks as a result of we’ve got failed you — the federal government has failed you, the companions have failed,” she mentioned. “We’re going to begin a brand new starting… the whole lot that needs to be completed shall be completed, by the grace of God.”
Consultant Prince Toles (District #8, Montserrado County), Chair of the Home Committee on Claims and Petitions, referred to as the doc “a very powerful petition” he had obtained in his function.
“We too are dad and mom… and we’re seeing the affect of medication in our nation,” he mentioned. “If I had my very own manner, I might say we must always have capital punishment for individuals who import medicine into our nation.”
The match which drew hundreds of individuals from all walks of life as they converged on Capitol Hill, was marked by admissions of institutional neglect and passionate appeals for a brand new starting.
The petition requires sweeping reforms, together with harsher penalties for traffickers, institution of a particular drug courtroom, growth of rehabilitation companies, and the designation of August 7 as Nationwide Day Towards Drug Abuse.
“If I Had My Means, I’d Advocate Capital Punishment,” mentioned Rep. Prince Toles, Home Committee Chair on Claims and Petitions famous, after receiving the petition. Rep. Toles steered capital punishment for these discovered responsible of importing unlawful medicine into Liberia.
“I’m not talking for my colleagues, however for myself,” he mentioned. “If I had my manner, I might suggest capital punishment for drug importers, in order that they are often eradicated from our society.”
Bong County Consultant James Kolleh, Chair of the Home Committee on Guidelines, Order and Administration, didn’t mince phrases in describing the severity of the disaster.
Addressing the petitioners instantly, he pledged to current the suggestions to the Home management when the Legislature reconvenes.
“Once we return, we’ll make sure that these suggestions are acted upon,” Kolleh mentioned.
“As a result of medicine usually are not simply destroying your youngsters, they’re destroying all of us.”
A Nation in Disaster
The petitioners painted a grim image of a rustic overwhelmed by dependancy, with an estimated 100,000 residents, largely younger folks, trapped in cycles of substance abuse and despair.
The coalition described avenue corners throughout Liberia as “graveyards of potential,” the place addicts are decreased to “dwelling lifeless.”
“We’re a nation in disaster,” the petition reads.
“The tears of our moms, the struggling of our youth, and the day by day tragedies in our communities demand speedy and decisive motion.”
The group blamed the failure of enforcement establishments, weak legal guidelines, and unchecked trafficking networks for the fast erosion of public security and social cohesion.
Six ‘Daring’ Calls for
The group’s petition outlines six pressing coverage actions, calling for enactment of harder sentences, amending present drug legal guidelines to mandate 20 years to life imprisonment for convicted traffickers and main drug criminals, creation of a Particular Drug Courtroom, set up a judicial arm devoted to swift and targeted prosecution of drug-related circumstances.
Additionally they referred to as for the growth of rehabilitation companies, put money into trendy, community-based rehabilitation facilities, treating dependancy as a public well being disaster, not merely a prison matter, iternatives for Minor Customers and promote supervised rehabilitation as a substitute of incarceration for non-violent, low-level drug customers.
The need August 7 be declared as Nationwide Day Towards Drug Abuse, as an annual day of consciousness, reflection, and group mobilisation. And name for Legislative Sacrifice by Urging lawmakers to contribute a portion of their salaries and advantages towards drug prevention, training, and rehabilitation efforts.
“We refuse to face by and watch a whole technology perish. The folks of Liberia are watching. We demand daring management, visionary motion, and uncompromising resolve to avoid wasting our nation.”
Liberia faces a worsening drug disaster, with a 2023 UNFPA examine displaying that one in 5 youths use narcotics, notably the artificial drug “kush,” usually laced with fentanyl and methamphetamine. Civil society reviews recognized over 866 drug dens in Monrovia alone. Regardless of President Boakai’s pledge to fight the epidemic and allocate US$3.5 million for rehabilitation and prevention packages underneath the “Kush Should Go” initiative, an FPA/New Narratives’ investigative report discovered little of the funding has reached service suppliers. At the moment, solely 163 persons are receiving government-funded remedy nationwide.
A name on President Boakai
The petitioners are calling on the federal government to ascertain the Liberia Drug Prevention, Rehabilitation, and Reintegration Company to strengthen nationwide efforts in combating drug abuse and supporting victims.
They urged the President to situation an government order declaring illicit medicine a nationwide pandemic—just like Ebola and COVID-19—and to designate August 7 every year as Liberia’s Nationwide Drug Day.
Moreover, they proposed the creation of a presidential anti-drug activity drive comprising representatives from civil society organizations, non secular establishments, the Armed Forces of Liberia (AFL), the Liberia Nationwide Police (LNP), and the Liberia Nationwide Bar Affiliation (LNBA), to work in collaboration with the Liberia Drug Enforcement Company (LDEA).
The duty drive, they mentioned, needs to be mandated to boost public consciousness, set up a name heart, monitor drug-related circumstances, and create community-based anti-drug activity forces, amongst different obligations.
In the meantime, the lawmakers promised to current the petition to the management of the Home of Representatives for submission to the Government, marking what activists hope would be the begin of significant reforms to Liberia’s embattled anti-drug efforts.
