Sierra Leone drugs agency boss fires back

The Executive Director of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency has challenged the ranking of his agency by the State House performance contract team which rated it as the worst performing in the country.

Col (Rtd) SIM Turay told Politico that it would be unfair to blame him or his staff for the low rating with an annual recurrent expenditure budget of Le 260 million (US$ 60,000), without a single intelligence officer and no offices outside Freetown.

Showing documents to show how many times he had written to the Government for an uplift of the NDLEA and with proposals on how to respond to the fight against drugs in the country, Turay said "no one has listened to my cries in the last three years that I have been in charge here".

He said all he had were 11 staff members who were mostly clerical and administrative. "How can I fight drugs with nothing?" he asked, rather rhetorically. "This," he went on "explains why the agency is performing so poorly", and refused to take responsibility.

He said his agency had not been functional since its establishment in 2003 and added rather whimsically: "an agency that has not been functional cannot therefore be included in a performance ranking".  He urged government to speed up the functionability of the agency because "the issue of hard drugs is a very serious one in Sierra Leone".

Following is a proposal on how to revamp the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency which was submitted by the Agency to the finance ministry:

Strategic Plan for the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency

Notes on 2014 Budget

1. 1.               Introduction

The main feature in the preparation of the NDLEA’s 2014 budget  is that the Executive Director has taken cognisance of the fact that the Agency has never had the capacity to deliver on its Parliamentary mandate throughout its over 10-year history.  The key reason for this failure is that since the Agency was established in January 2003, it has never been provided with an operational infrastructure, in terms of its financial, human and material requirements, resources which are so crucial in ensuring the Agency has the capacity to fulfil its statutory role.

The fact of the matter is that the NDLEA, which is the principal institution with the Parliamentary mandate in the fight against the illegal drugs trade in Sierra Leone, has never been able to emerge as an effective drug law enforcement agency since it was established in January 2003.  The Agency has also never had the capacity to foster any form of meaningful collaborative working relationships with other Agencies of complementary mandates, and as a result, has found itself in the periphery of Sierra Leone’s Intelligence Community.

It is essential to point out that national drug law enforcement agencies are gigantic organisations even in the context of Sub-Saharan Africa, with hundreds if not thousands of personnel.  The NDLEA is a far cry from this reality.  Needless to say,  the NDLEA has never prosecuted a single case under the National Drugs Control Act, 2008 in the courts of this country.  The hard fact is that Sierra Leone is now faced with a drugs culture, especially among the unemployed and teenagers of school-going age. The problems associated with drug abuse therefore pose real challenges to social security and are a barrier to economic development and democratic consolidation.

The present situation is that if the NDLEA’s resource problems are not addressed, the agency will never be able to deliver on its Parliamentary mandate and would therefore not be fit for purpose. The key focus of the budget is therefore the provision of the Agency’s needs so that it could fulfil the purpose for which it was established by Parliament.

2.         The illegal drugs trade in perspective

It is an undeniable fact that the illegal drugs trade in this country has been going on for decades and drug dealers, big and small, have reaped huge financial rewards and amassed incredible wealth.  Throughout this period, no serious or sincere attempt has ever been made by anyone, or any institution for that matter, to fully investigate the illegal drugs trade with a view to comprehensively tackling it, or at least, bringing it down to an acceptable level.

The latest research and empirical evidence reveal that cannabis cultivation and consumption, in particular, has seen a dramatic rise in Sierra Leone to the extent that it has become a new phenomenon.  And this is against the backdrop of Sierra Leone being one of the key distribution/transit zones along the West African Coast for South American trafficking organisations, establishing safe havens for the receipt, storage and trans-shipment of large consignments of cocaine destined for European markets.

3.         Provision of operational vehicles and motor cycles

Capital/development expenditure must be made a priority if the NDLEA is to achieve its developmental goals and become fully operational.  Presently, the NDLEA has no operational vehicle or motor cycle.  This means that the Agency does not have the ability to mount a single operation or exercise in the city let alone upcountry.  It is hard to imagine an NDLEA with a Parliamentary mandate to fulfil nationwide and one that is expected to be deployed not only in Freetown but also in Lungi Airport and the Queen Elizabeth II Quay, and seven major towns upcountry, plus five border stations along the Guinean and Liberian borders, not having a single operational vehicle or motor cycle.

To put the matter into perspective, following the end of the tribal rebel war in Sierra Leone in early 2002, the NDLEA unlike other key government security institutions, namely, the Police, the Army and the Office of National Security (ONS) has to date not benefited from the Public Sector Reform Programme.  This initiative has seen hundreds of vehicles and motor cycles being provided for these institutions by successive governments with assistance from the International Community, even though the NDLEA has a genuine case to receive such support.  I am sure the purpose of the massive financial outlay in the security sector which is still on-going is to ensure the growth and development of these institutions so that they could have the capacity to deliver on their Parliamentary mandates.

It is significant to point out that the horrors of the 11-year tribal rebel war still remain a constant reminder of how narcotic drug became the most potent weapon used to embolden our young population and transform them into ruthless killing machines with wanton abandon.  This is one cogent reason why the NDLEA should be provided with the relevant resources, which would undoubtedly give the Agency the capacity to effectively tackle what according to empirical evidence has disturbingly become a dangerous drugs culture in Sierra Leone.

In my considered view, the Agency’s old and solitary Terrano jeep, which is being used as a utility vehicle is so prone to frequent mechanical breakdowns, it has become economically unwise to continue keeping it on the road.   It is hardly surprising that this view is echoed by both the Sierra Leone Road Transport Authority and the Parliamentary Oversight Committee on Finance.

In essence, the NDLEA urgently requires 27 operational vehicles and 25 motor cycles.  It is a shame the Executive Director of the NDLEA, unlike other officials in similar categories of government employment, is not provided with an official vehicle.

4.        Inability to cover cyber intelligence.

The NDLEA totally lacks the ability to combat the growing challenge of the criminal use of the internet, that is, to tackle offences that are facilitated by cyber technologies, and to deal with new kinds of evidence that are gathered in electronic form.   The main reason for this is that the Agency does not have the expertise, in terms of personnel and the necessary IT equipment in this area.

5.         Establishment of new offices/stations

The establishment of new NDLEA offices at Lungi Airport and the Queen Elizabeth II Quay is of vital significance in the fight against the illegal drugs trade in Sierra Leone.  Without a question of a doubt, these two national entry/exit arteries are notorious for cocaine trafficking, especially at the international level.  The presence of the NDLEA at both Lungi Airport and the Queen Elizabeth II Quay is therefore imperative if the fight against the illegal drugs trade is to be won.

The physical presence of the NDLEA at the provincial towns of Bo, Kenema, Makeni, Kambia, Kabala, Koidu and Moyamba, as well as stations bordering Liberia and Guinea such as, Gbalamuya, Mano River, Koindu, Sainya and Koindukura is also of the utmost significance if a comprehensive approach is to be adopted both at the domestic and international levels in the fight against the illegal drugs trade in Sierra Leone.

Of course, the establishment of these new offices/stations, especially those upcountry would undoubtedly require fixed capital outlays, in terms of the construction of bungalows or offices with sleeping accommodation for five or more staff, but the entire project could be phased out over two or three years.  The Agency has ensured that costings of new construction upcountry are realistic as they are based on available contract documents, estimates of consultants in the construction industry, and expert advice from the Ministry of Works and Infrastructure.

6.         Recruitment of personnel

The NDLEA is terribly short of manpower and lacks a quality workforce capable of carrying out its many diverse functions.  The embarrassing truth is that the NDLEA has only eleven personnel, comprising five administrative staff, four security personnel, one driver and a cleaner, with no infrastructure in place.  It is therefore inconceivable to expect the NDLEA which totally lacks any form of operational capacity to fulfil its Parliamentary mandate.  It is even harder still to imagine this could be true of a drug law enforcement agency in a Third World country renowned for its porous borders and unreliable and difficult transport and communication infrastructure.

The fundamental issue here is that we are dealing with a country of around 6 (six) million inhabitants with a drugs culture that is getting worst every single day. So the reality of the situation is that it is sine qua non for an operational institution like the NDLEA to be provided with sufficient man power, plus vehicles, motor cycles and operational funds so that it could perform its Parliamentary role.  Instead, the policy of containing the NDLEA to an unrealistic budget year in year out has since become a permanent fixture and a fait accompli, regardless of whatever representation is made by the Executive Director.  To date, the NDLEA remains the only institution in the Public Security Sector, and for that matter, the entire public spectrum without a management structure.

It is essential to point out that there is a close connection not only between drugs and criminal activities generally, but also between drugs and organised crime, for which this country is still to adopt a holistic approach.  The fact of the matter is that the NDLEA, a key institution in law enforcement, is not playing any active part in terms of enforcing the law with regard to drug-related criminal activities or organised crime, in particular, because of its total lack of an operational capacity.

With regard to the recruitment of new personnel to fill existing positions in the NDLEA, the focus of the Executive Director is to ensure that the Agency has an educated workforce.  This means that all potential management personnel would be holders of university degrees or its equivalent.  Certain managerial positions would also require holders of postgraduate degrees or its equivalent.

Nearly 60 per cent of all new positions would require a minimum of a first degree or its equivalent.  However, consideration would be given to police, military or customs officers, and others with a law enforcement background with the relevant experience, knowledge and aptitude to fill managerial positions.  In this regard, potential candidates who are already retired, especially those with legal backgrounds would be employed on 2/3–year contracts.

In the light of the foregoing, the Agency has based its salary structure in line with other government Agencies/Departments and Commissions especially those in the sensitive sectors of the economy.  The Agency has also taken cognisance of trends in the current labour market.

7.         Availability of international funding

The NDLEA can and has benefited from some form of foreign assistance, especially assistance emanating from the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC).  But somehow, international assistance whether in the form of funds or material resources dried up completely before I took over as Executive Director in December 2010.  Many reasons could be advanced why this has been the case, but the Executive Director’s present concern is to resurrect this vital area of the NDLEA’s source for capacity building and development.

No doubt, international organisations and foreign governments concerned with the fight against the illegal drugs trade have put in place measures to address the resource problems and build the capacity of particularly Third world countries whose drug law enforcement agencies are experiencing resource difficulties.  In the case of Sierra Leone, for instance, which has become one of the key distribution/transit zones along the West African Coast for South American drug trafficking organisations, the new phenomenon has attracted worldwide attention.

Indeed, the implementation of the West Africa Coast Initiative (WACI) programme which is an ECOWAS Regional Action Plan to address the growing problem of illicit drug trafficking, organised crime and drug abuse in West Africa involving four project pilot countries, namely, Cote D’Ivoire, Guinea Bissau, Liberia and Sierra Leone is a brilliant way forward.  However, even though the sum of US$3,071,789 (three million and seventy one thousand seven hundred and eighty nine dollars) has been set aside by the governments of Austria, the Netherlands, USA and the UK to sponsor project activities in Sierra Leone until 2014, the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, the principal institution with the Parliamentary mandate in the fight against the illegal drugs trade in Sierra Leone is still to benefit from this programme.

It is disheartening to note that WACI has made a commitment to enhance national efforts by building on existing law enforcement networks and structures.  The key question is: where does the NDLEA, a terribly under-resourced national drug law enforcement agency stand in all of this?  Of course, the point has already been made that the NDLEA is encountering monumental problems at the domestic level to get on its feet.

Nonetheless, I have since contacted the UNODC and other international organisations and foreign missions that have an interest in building the capacity of drug law enforcement agencies in Third World countries.  Their response has been positive.  However, they have given certain provisos or stipulated conditions which should be fulfilled before they could be of assistance to the Agency, namely:

(a)  that the NDLEA should have a quality workforce

(b)  that the NDLEA should be seen to have the capacity to address the illegal drugs  trade in Sierra Leone.

(c)  that the NDLEA should have the ability to provide vital and up-to-date statistics to  the UNODC, the World Health Organisation (WHO), and other international  organisations concerned with drug crime and the illegal drugs trade and drug-    related activities in Sierra Leone on a regular basis.

The above requirements clearly illustrate that although donor funds are available, the NDLEA has to be internationally competitive to access them.  This simply means that first and foremost, the government has to provide the Agency with the capacity to deliver on its Parliamentary mandate.  Surely, this is achievable.  Once the NDLEA has sufficient capacity to perform then donor funds would be available from various international sources, thereby ensuring huge future savings for government.

8.         Provision of new office complex

In order to guarantee the NDLEA’s future growth and operational effectiveness, it is essential that a new office complex is constructed for the Agency as the present premises situated at Koubassi building, 2 Walpole Street, Freetown is totally inadequate and unsuitable for an intelligence-based agency.  Even though the offices are on the 3^rd floor, the building is not provided with a lift system.  It is also not fenced, has no ground level parking facility for vehicles and is thus completely insecure.

9.         First Draft Report of the Commission set up by the Ministry of Internal Affairs.

It is essential to note that the Commission set up by the Ministry of Internal Affairs to “Define the Underlying Legal Regulatory Framework for Building the Capacity of the Ministry of Internal Affairs to deliver on its Strategic and Oversight Roles” in its First Draft Report dated 14^th November 2011 has this to say:    “Operationalisation of the NDLEA is now overdue…………………the Agency is under-resourced, operationally paralysed, marginalised and lacks the operational infrastructure and capacity to carry out its statutory functions as provided in (Article 3 of the National Drugs Control Act, 2008).  As a result, it has failed to deliver on its Parliamentary mandate.”  In contrast, TOCU is better resourced than the NDLEA and has also “delivered on some aspects of NDLEA mandate, further making NDLEA redundant.”

10.       The need to make the NDLEA operational

The plain fact of the matter is that the illegal drugs trade in Sierra Leone is riddled with a cornucopia of vested and entrenched interests, and there is indisputable evidence that firstly, cocaine trafficking in Sierra Leone has increased dramatically.  Secondly, there are presently more cocaine dealers in Sierra Leone than ever before.  Thirdly, the cultivation, consumption and trafficking of cannabis sativa has risen to such an extent, it has now become a new phenomenon.  Fourthly, the entire drug law enforcement architecture in Sierra Leone remains weak and prone to corruption.   This means that there is a need for a strong and effectively operational NDLEA with the ability to tackle the underlying problems associated with the illegal drugs trade in Sierra Leone.

Thus, the NDLEA needs the support of government and the necessary resources to comprehensively address all issues related to the continued perpetuation of the notorious illegal drugs trade in Sierra Leone, the main focus of the Agency’s 2014 budget.

Deployment of 200 personnel 

1. 1.      Freetown - Headquarters  (Early and Late shifts)  

No.	Designation		No. of  Personnel
1.	Executive Director		1
2.	Director of Operations		1
3.	Deputy Director of Operations		1
4.	Head of Human Resource		1
5.	Head of Legal Team		1
6.	Head of Research		1
7.	Head of Intelligence		1
8.	Head of Finance		1
9.	Head of Training		1
10.	Head of Prosecution		1
11.	Head of Investigation		1
12.	Head of Drug Prevention		1
13.	Public Relations Officer		1
14.	Principal Research Officer		1
15.	Senior Intelligence Officer		1
16.	Senior Training Officer		1
17.	Senior Prosecution Officer		1
18.	Senior Case Officer		1
19.	Senior Drug Prevention Officer		1
20.	Counselling Officer		1
21.	Prosecution Officers		4
22.	Case Officers		4
23.	Drug Prevention Officers		2
24.	Drug Analyst		1
25.	Information Technology Specialist		1
26.	Equipment Specialist		1
27.	Accountant		1
28.	Intelligence Officer		1
29.	Personal Assistant		1
30.	Assistant Public Relations Officer		1
31.	Procurement Officer		1
32.	Research Officers/Cyclists		2
33.	Training Officers		2
34.	Front Desk Officers		2
35.	Information Technology Technician		1
36.	Equipment Technician		1
37.	Confidential Secretary		1
38.	Legal Advice Secretary		1
39.	Operations Secretary		1
40.	Administrative Secretary		1
41.	Assistant Legal Advice Secretary		1
42.	Assistant Accountant		1
43.	Photographer/Cyclist		1
44.	Receptionists		2
45.	Security Officers		10
46.	Procurement Clerk		1
47.	Despatch Clerk		1
48.	Driver- Toyota Land Cruisers		8
49.	Driver – Toyota Coaster Mini Bus		1
50.	Driver – Iveco 10-ton vehicle		1
51.	Driver – Surveillance vehicle		1
52.	Cleaner		1
	Total             =		79
2.  Lungi Airport (Early and Late shifts)
1.	Superintendent		1
2.	Case Officer		1
3.	Research Officer		1
4.	Photographer/Cyclist		1
5.	Front Desk Officer		1
6.	Security Officers		2
7.	Driver – Toyota Land Cruiser		1
	Total            =		8
3.  Queen Elizabeth II Quay (Early and Late shifts)
1.	Superintendent	1
2.	Case Officer	1
3.	Front Desk Officer	1
4.	Photographer/Cyclist	1
5.	Security Officers	2
6.	Driver - Toyota Land Cruiser	1
	Total                    =	7
4.  Bo
1.	Superintendent	1
2.	Prosecution Officers	2
3.	Case Officers	2
4.	Drug Prevention Officer	1
5.	Research Officer/Cyclist	1
6.	Photographer/Cyclist	1
7.	Secretary	1
8.	Front Desk Officer	1
9.	Driver - Toyota Land Cruiser	1
10.	Driver - Iveco 10-ton vehicle	1
11.	Security Officers	3
	Total      =	15
5.  Makeni
1.	Superintendent	1
2.	Prosecution Officers	2
3.	Case Officers	2
4.	Drug Prevention Officer	1
5.	Research Officer/Cyclist	1
6.	Photographer/Cyclist	1
7.	Secretary	1
8.	Front Desk Officer	1
9.	Driver - Toyota Land Cruiser	1
10.	Driver - Iveco 10-ton vehicle	1
11.	Security Officers	3
	Total	15
6.  Kenema
1.	Superintendent	1
2.	Prosecution Officers	2
3.	Case Officers	2
4.	Drug Prevention Officer	1
5.	Research Officer/Cyclist	1
6.	Photographer/Cyclist	1
7.	Secretary	1
8.	Front Desk Officer	1
9.	Driver - Toyota Land Cruiser	1
10.	Driver - Iveco 10-ton vehicle	1
11.	Security Officers	3
	Total            =	15
7.  Kambia
1.	Case Officers	2
2.	Research Officer/Cyclist	1
3.	Prosecution Officer	1
4.	Drug Prevention Officer/Cyclist	1
5.	Front Desk Officer	1
6.	Security Officers	2
7.	Driver - Toyota Land Cruiser	1
	Total          =	9
8.  Kabala
1.	Prosecution Officer	1
2.	Case Officers	2
3.	Research Officer/Cyclist	1
4.	Drug Prevention Officer/Cyclist	1
5.	Front Desk Officer	1
6.	Security Officers	2
7.	Driver - Toyota Land Cruiser	1
	Total               =	9
9.  Koidu
1.	Prosecution Officer	1
2.	Case Officers	2
3.	Research Officer/Cyclist	1
4.	Drug Prevention Officer/Cyclist	1
5.	Front Desk Officer	1
6.	Security Officers	2
7.	Driver - Toyota Land Cruiser	1
	Total	9
10. Moyamba
1.	Prosecution Officer	1
2.	Case Officers	2
3.	Research Officer/Cyclist	1
4.	Drug Prevention Officer/Cyclist	1
5.	Front Desk Officer	1
6.	Security Officers	2
7.	Driver – Toyota Land Cruiser	1
	Total               =	9
11. Sainya
1.	Case Officer/Cyclist	1
2.	Front Desk Officer	1
3.	Photographer/Cyclist	1
4.	Security Officer	1
5.	Driver - Toyota Land Cruiser	1
	Total              =	5
12. Gbalamuya
1.	Case Officer/Cyclist	1
2.	Front Desk Officer	1
3.	Photographer/Cyclist	1
4.	Security Officer	1
5.	Driver – Toyota Land Cruiser	1
	Total             =	5
13. Koindu
1.	Case Officer/Cyclist	1
2.	Front Desk Officer	1
3.	Photographer/Cyclist	1
4.	Security Officer	1
5.	Driver - Toyota Land Cruiser	1
	Total              =	5
14. Mano River
1.	Case Officer/Cyclist	1
2.	Front Desk Officer	1
3.	Photographer/Cyclist	1
4.	Security Officer	1
5.	Driver - Toyota Land Cruiser	1
	Total             =	5
15. Koindukura
1.	Case Officer/Cyclist	1
2.	Front Desk Officer	1
3.	Photographer/Cyclist	1
4.	Security Officer	1
5.	Driver - Toyota Land Cruiser	1
	Total             =	5
Summary of Personnel (200)
1.	Freetown – Headquarters	79
2.	Lungi Airport	8
3.	Queen Elizabeth II Quay	7
4.	Bo	15
5.	Makeni	15
6.	Kenema	15
7.	Kambia	9
8.	Kabala	9
9.	Koidu	9
10.	Moyamba	9
11.	Mano River	5
12.	Koindu	5
13.	Gbalamuya	5
14.	Sainya	5
15.	Koindukura	5
	Grand Total           =	200

(C) Politico 08/04/14