By Nasratu Kargbo
Paramount Chief Members of Parliament have asked that the fight against the synthetic substance called Kush be taken to their various chiefdoms, but want security, saying some of their personnel have been attacked.
Whilst debating the Public Emergency Regulations 2024 and the Drug and Substance Abuse Public Emergency Response Regulations 2024, Paramount Chief Kandeh Paria Kawaleh II from Karene District said “I want to suggest that the government provides sufficient security in the ‘’Yesterday, four unknown boys attacked my Speaker, because he led a team that destroyed all ghettos in that area”.
He cited the arrest last week of twenty-six (26) people in connection to kush who were sent to the nearest Police post, but who were rejected by the officer at the facility because there was not enough room to take them all.
The Paramount chief MP stressed the relevance of having police cells in all chiefdoms and the number of security personnel increased there as well.
PC Thor Thor Sheku Marrah III from Falaba District said the fight against kush cannot be achieved if they are not involved. He noted the country has one hundred and ninety chiefdoms and that they as PCMPs are in the parliament to represent those chiefdoms, and they should be empowered.
He explained that if they are capacitated, they in turn will do the same to their other colleague's paramount chiefs; team up to sensitize section and town chiefs, chiefdom speakers, village heads, and youth leaders.
The chief said that in some of their chiefdoms, they do not have radio stations that might serve as means of sensitizing their people. “We are custodians of the land, our people listen to us more than you,” he said.
PC Marrah stated they have bye-laws and can make others handle their situation in their different areas, saying the people in those communities respect these bye-laws and that if one goes against the law, they can be punished.
He also asked that they empower the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), which has been under budgeted.
MPs whilst debating raised concerns and asked that the documents being debated should be readjusted in certain areas such as a concise definition of kush, the jail term for defaulters amongst others. The presidential proclamation of a public health emergency regarding kush was then adopted.
Copyright © 2024 Politico (26/04/24)
