OUR NATIONAL DRUG AGENCY vs. OUR MINISTRY OF FINANCE
In this column today, we are focusing on just one issue. We want to keep the spotlight on the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency headed by a former military colonel who spent many years abroad. We have been reading his 2014 status report. It's very interesting and we want to share our perspectives on this important national issue. The report is published in at least one newspaper.
We now quote extensively from the report:
NDLEA - In 2014 as in previous years since the agency was established in January 2003, the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency experienced zero growth and development. The key reason for this is that the agency, the only institution in the country with parliamentary mandate to tackle the illegal drugs trade in Sierra Leone continues to be seriously deprived of government funds by the Ministry of Finance and Economic Development.
POLITICO - We believe that the man who was in charge of the agency immediately before our diasporan colonel took over would dispute aspects of the statement, especially where the colonel went as far as 2003 in his argument that the agency "experienced zero growth." Frankly many ordinary citizens of this country would largely agree with the colonel. We can test this by simply asking people on the streets of Freetown about the NDLEA and the EPA for example. Nobody would recognise the NDLEA. The EPA which is unnecessarily well resourced is all over the place doing incomprehensible things. They wouldn't allow Catholics at FBC to build a church without a so-called permit, but they turn a blind eye to the massive deforestation and land grabbing on the hills above Freetown for housing construction.
NDLEA - The reality of the situation is that a non-operational National Drug Law Enforcement Agency has been the fundamental reason for the continued escalation of the illegal drugs trade in Sierra Leone. And considering that the country is faced with a dangerous and mounting drugs culture, especially among the unemployed, youths and teenagers of school-going age, the problems associated with drug abuse pose real challenges to social security and are a barrier to economic development and democratic consolidation.
POLITICO - Well, we have no alternative but to agree with the report. But how come the colonel has been sitting there all these years without resigning? The picture he paints would have looked like this in boxing terms, during the recent epic boxing match - the promoters on Manny Pacquaio allowing him to have his hands tied behind his back against Floyd Mayweather. It would have been suicide.
So our colonel is appointed to an office as sensitive as that, yet according to him he is not given the money he needs to do the job. What's the point hanging in there?
And by the way, why would Commonwealth man "deprive" the agency as cash? Is there something we should know, as citizens of this great republic? Our dear colonel, have you reported this to De Pa? In fact, for whom was this report done? You see, we have a lot of questions for which we want urgent answers.
NDLEA - Moreover, it is now an established fact that at both domestic and international levels, there is a close connection between not only between drugs and criminal activities generally, but also between drugs and organised crime, such as money laundering and child trafficking, for which this country is still to adopt a holistic approach.
POLITICO - Oh really? Do you mean there is no holistic policy towards fighting this modern menace? Well it's good to know because from now on, we will start asking the right questions in these areas. We could face serious international sanctions especially after that huge cocaine trail we had in this country not too long ago. We remember how the Americans took people away from our prisons and arrested GK in neighbouring Liberia. This is a country with serious image problems - a brutal civil war with cruel amputations and killing of journalists, a country not doing well in the corruption index, massive Ebola deaths and corruption of Ebola funds and so on. We cannot afford any other negative.
NDLEA - The agency is constrained to contend that the explanation put forward by the Ministry of Finance and Economic Development that funds are not available to make the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency operational because of financial constraints is simply untenable, not when the very ministry has been allocating hundreds of billions of leones to other institutions in the security sector, such as the Army, the Sierra Leone Police and the Office of National Security over the past few years alone.
POLITICS - We agree. The simple argument we make is that we cannot create an agency for which there is no budget. If the colonel is right then let's shut the place down and allow the smugglers to have a field day. We don't know if this is helpful in any way: why can't the colonel go out and look for international money to run his office? In fact, he could also ask for some of the fines those cocaine people paid from the last trial. Good sense eh?
NDLEA - As the illegal drugs trade in Sierra Leone continues to worsen and spiral out of control, public opinion on the issue is that the authorities do not want to see an operational National Drug Law Enforcement Agency. The key reason advanced by the public, and this is all over the place, is that the thriving cocaine trade in particular, is fetching millions of dollars for certain individuals who are favoured by the authorities. So it is a win win situation for these cocaine dealers and their beneficiaries who protect them.
POLITICO - We are going to be very careful here. We understand what the colonel is saying about public opinion but we will not vouch for the methodology by which he was able to ascertain that there are individuals in the drugs trade who are favoured by the authorities. Why would somebody in authority want to mess themselves up with criminals? Thank you sir but let's hope you are wrong here eventhough we are very aware that nothing is impossible these days.
NDLEA - In a constitutional democracy that practices political pluralism and respect for the rule of law, the illegal drugs issue has the potential to embarrass the government. So public opinion does matter a lot and should be taken seriously. No doubt, there is hardly anything anyone can do about negative public opinion, except of course, remedy the situation, as to do otherwise would only generate a damaging critique of government.
POLITICO - We take your point about what obtains in constitutional democracies. In fact, with that coming from a man who served when Joseph Momoh was president of Sierra Leone, we feel very proud to announce that this country has come a long way in its democratic development.
You see sir, this 2014 status report of your has dealt the government serious blows that would come back to hurt them soon. The report is very frank. It departs from the tried and trusted pattern in which government institutions, including those collapsing on their knees for lack of government support, would still go to the media and praise the government. Because the colonel is a member of the Red ovement, we don't believe he will be sacked for this report.
(C) Politico 09/07/15
