LDEA S/Agt. Jimmy N.U.Brimah writes an open letter to lawmakers of the 55th National Legislature

Subject: A Cry From the  Frontline –

Your Endorsement is a Mockery to Our Sacrifice.

Dear Lawmakers of the Republic,

I write to you not with respect alone, but with a heavy heart and a spirit weighed down by betrayal. I write not as a politician, nor a public speaker, but as a foot soldier in Liberia’s most dangerous war — the fight against drugs. I am an officer of the Liberia Drug Enforcement Agency (LDEA), and today, I must speak the truth that too many of us have suffered silently.

A few minutes ago, I saw the images that broke many of us on the inside. Lawmakers, comfortably dressed, proudly holding t-shirts that read “I Am A Victim,” endorsing the August 7, 2025 “Say No To Drugs” protest. A photo opportunity. A show of concern. A performance for the public.

We are heartbroken. Not because Liberians want to march, it’s their right and their voice must be heard. We are heartbroken because those who hold power to make a lasting difference- you, the lawmakers, choose  to symbolically endorse a protest instead of practically empowering the agency that is legally mandated to confront the problem.

But where were you when we cried for operational vehicles?

Where were you when we patrolled crime-infested areas on foot, chasing drug lords with no fuel, no communication devices, and no bullets?

Where were you when one of our officers died in the field with no health insurance, no protective gear, and no national honor?

You march with shirts. We march with our lives.

While you wear caps, we wear scars from the streets, from the pressure, from the trauma of watching our young people waste away, and from being powerless due to your inaction.

We urge  you to visit our stations.

Walk with us. Listen to our stories.

Understand the cost of our service.

Then take the understanding and turn it into policy, budget allocations, and structural reforms.

Let me be clear: The Liberia Drug Enforcement Agency is suffocating.

We are underpaid — insultingly so.

We are under-equipped — dangerously so.

We are under-supported — disgracefully so.

Speaking of salaries, what we earn is barely enough to survive, let alone raise a Family or build a future. Yet, everymorning, we rise. We report to duty. We fight. Not for fame, not for Facebook, but for country.

And in return, we get forgotten.

Your endorsement of a protest without first addressing the crippling state of the LDEA is not a show of solidarity, it is a slap in the face. It is a painful reminder that the very leaders who should champion our work choose to play politics with our reality. You stand for the cameras and chant slogans while we stand on crime scenes and bury comrades.

Do you know what it’s like to arrest a known drug trafficker only for them to walk free the next day because of loopholes in the law you refuse to tighten?

Do you know what it feels like to sit in a dark, broken station?

Do you know what it feels like to risk your life for a nation that only remembers you in protests and press conferences?

We are not asking for applause. We are demanding accountability.

Liberia doesn’t need symbolic protests. Liberia needs real investment in law enforcement, in prevention, in rehabilitation, and in justice. That responsibility falls on you, not the protesters. Not the t-shirts. Not the hashtags. You.

So we ask: When will you sponsor a bill to increase our salaries?

When will you demand proper logistics for LDEA operations?

When will you empower us to dismantle the drug cartels instead of chasing shadows?

Until then, your “Say No To Drugs” protest is empty noise. It may win applause, but it does not save lives.

You cannot claim to stand against drugs while ignoring the very agency risking everything to fight it.

We are not your poster boys. We are your protectors. Treat us as such.

You say you are a victim — we say, we are the resistance.

We bleed so you can sleep in peace. We sacrifice so Liberia can have a future. And yet, when we need you most, you smile for cameras while we scream for help.

Enough is enough.

We demand real support. Real commitment. Real action.

Until then, your protest is not solidarity, it is hypocrisy.

Sincerely,

S/Agt. Jimmy N.U.Brimah

A Disappointed but Devoted Officer

Liberia Drug Enforcement Agency (LDEA).”