Monrovia – The Liberia Drugs Enforcement Agency (LDEA) has ended a one-day consultative meeting on the formulation of Mano River Union (MRU) countries drug authorities on how to curtail drugs in the region.
Report by Edwin G. Genoway, Jr., [email protected]
The meeting was intended to brainstorm ideas on how to engage drugs authorities from Guinea and Sierra Leone on the proliferation of narcotics and other harmful substances in the region.
The meeting that was organized by LDEA brought together members of government security authorities including the Liberia Immigration Service (LIS), Liberia National Police (LNP), Liberia National Fire Service, Ministry of Health, United States Embassy, Civil Society Groups and the ECOWAS among others.
Deputy Director General for Operation of the LDEA, Marxin Sarkon in his opening statement said the issue of drugs in Liberia shouldn’t be downplayed by authorities of the Mono River region.
“We at the LDEA are ready and will do all we can to curtail the proliferation of illicit drugs in the region, we will work with the Immigration to carry out this operation,” he said.
Sarkon described Liberia as a virgin land that drugs dealers take advantage of and carry out their illegal drugs trade.
He said because the drug law is weak, traffickers see Liberia as a safe heaven, “Whenever these guys are thrown in jail for drugs, the next thing you observe are those same guys roaming the street of Monrovia because the drug law is weak,” he said.
He said the LDEA is prepared to engage drug authorities from Guinea and Sierra Leone to monitor various entry points of the three countries.
“Our borders need to be monitored and we need to prevent those illegal dealers from using our poorer borders to bring in harmful drugs into Liberia.
He also described Liberia as a distribution ground for many drugs dealers due to what he calls the weakness of the drug laws.
“Until the drug law is amended, drug dealers will continue to use Liberia to deal drugs, there is a need to protect the future of this country by seeing to it that this act is curtailed,” he said.
Pharmacist and addiction specialist at the Ministry of Health, Joseph Quoi said the Ministry of Health is working hard to construct rehabilitation centers around the country.
“In doing this we are working with stakeholders in the country to construct rehab centers, the issue of trafficking and the illegal use of drugs need to be prevented,” he said.
He said Liberia can fight the issue of drugs in the same manner Ebola was battled. “If we can fight Ebola we can also fight this issue of drugs in our country, we want for everyone to get involve in the process,” he noted.
The Senior Policy Advisor on International Narcotic and Law Enforcement Affairs at the United States Embassy in Monrovia has pledged the US Embassy’s support to the LDEA in curtailing drugs in the region.
Steven Kissik said the issue of drug is a complex problem in the region and not only Liberia. He hoped that Liberia will fight against illegal drug flow in the region.
“We encourage Liberia to fight this trans-regional problem. We will support the LDEA in its fight against the illegal use of drug in the country,” he said.
The Speaker of the National Traditional Council of Liberia, Bob Kofi Zahhas encouraged the DEA and other security apparatus in the country to double up and fight drugs.
He frowned on the illegal use of pharmaceutical and narcotic drugs by the young people in Liberia.
“Our children are suffering, they are dying from this thing called drug abuse, I want you all to work hard to stop this ugly act,” he said.
An official of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) in Liberia, A’Lola Osunlalu said the issue of drugs have become alarming not only in the Mono River region but the entire ECOWAS region states.
He said ECOWAS is willing to work with the MRU countries to curtail the act of illegal drugs.
He urged the MRU Countries to work with sisters’ agencies of ECOWAS to help in the fight of drugs. He noted that there are people in the region that take advantage of ECOWAS free movement to transport drugs around the region.
“It is a need that the LDEA carry on publicity about the use of drugs in the region and how people enter the country,”.
Participants at the meeting from various government ministries and agencies provided expert opinion and suggestions that will be used by the LDEA in engaging drugs enforcement authorities in the Mano River region.