By Nasratu Kargbo
The atmosphere that filled Parliament’s Committee Room One during the public hearing on the narcotic substance called kush demonstrated zero sense of urgency, enthusiasm or desperation from some authorities to end the menace that continues to destroy the country’s youthful population. However, those on whom the heavy burden lies to save the situation were busy casting blame on each other for the prevalence of the drug in the legislative house that fateful day.
As they spoke on the issue on the 18th of March 2024, one could notice that aside from the blame game there was no quick solution to stopping the scourge despite some brilliant suggestions. Most of the suggestions made included building rehabilitation centres, empowering the Drug Enforcement Agency, getting equipment for chemical toxicology and equipping customs, but all seemed farfetched as things are.
The Inspector General of Police (IGP) William Fayia Sellu mentioned that the main ingredient used to produce kush is marshmallow, explaining that it is not planted in the country but imported.
He said the drug is brought into the country through the quay and airport, revealing that they had intercepted marshmallows, acetone and tramadol on several occasions.
Sellu said the fight against drugs should be done collaboratively and not left with them alone.
He recommended a hundred percent search of all containers coming into the country, stressing that he believes for every search conducted, they will find something of interest that would disband the trade.
Responding to comments made about his officers being part of those taking and selling the substance, he said they have ensured that all officers caught are adequately punished.
The Director General of Sierra Leone Ports Authority Yakuba A. Bio said they cannot conduct a hundred percent search, stating that they have their standard operating procedures which include scanning and tracking. He added that they would not want to have a public outcry on delay in the release of containers.
He spoke on the need for institutional collaboration; he explained that after culprits are caught and handed over to the Transnational Organized Crime Unit (TOCU) or the Police, they in return will send them to the court and noted that it will be left with the Judiciary to do their bit.
The Director also blamed the prevalence of the drug on the number of porous borders and jetties, noting that his institution should not be blamed.
Bio also advised parents to monitor their children, saying parents should blame importers and retailers for their children being addicts, emphasizing that their children are their responsibility and should therefore take care of them.
The Chief Medical Officer (CMO) Sartie Kanneh said: “We are thinking that in this area, the leading agencies have to take the lead and we will support them. Health is just a consequence of what is happening.”
He also stated that they have opened a centre for the addicts, but that they have to orientate the medical staff to understand how to handle the addicts, as everything is new at this stage.
“I’ll say even the health sector might not be a hundred percent strong to handle it in totality, we will gain experience as we go,” he said.
Representatives from the National Revenue Authority (NRA) and the Pharmacy Board amongst others all made contributions, however, like other speakers; they were shifting blame at each other.
Chief Whip from the Opposition Bench Abdul Karim Kamara who triggered the discussion during a plenary session which led to the authorities being invited, admitted: “We are still not addressing the issue, as we sit here we have young people dying, some in ghettos taking kush, and what you are doing as government institutions is to keep blaming one another, this is not the solution and we’ve just wasted our time today”.
He said the drug is not sold in secret and the places where they are sold are easily identified. “The speed at which we are responding to this kush situation is so slow,” the Whip said.
Kamara said he expected the CMO to have given an update on the status of Kerry Town holding centres they used used during Ebola and Corona virus, saying he expected structures from the chiefdom to the national level would have been reactivated to help the police.
The Whip said that stopping the drug from being imported is a clever idea, but that taking care of those affected should also be paramount.
Kush is now the country’s biggest threat, killing its human capital and rendering others useless. The country has recorded deaths of mostly young people that are reportedly related to drugs.
Copyright © 2024 Politico (22/03/24)
