By Ruth Yeabu Sesay
The Acting Leader of Government Business, in Parliament Bashiru Silikie, has drawn the attention of the Speaker of Parliament, Dr. Abass Bundu, to the rampant misuse of drugs by the youth across Sierra Leone, suggesting that parliament invites the Police, the Ministry of Health and Sanitation, National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Ministry of Internal Affairs, and National Revenue Authority (NRA) to discuss the problem.
Making his statement at the well on Friday October 28, Silikie said that all of these institutions have different approaches on how to get rid of the problem, highlighting that in any state, young people are a very useful tool that can be incorporated in transforming the country’s future.
He said the level at which young people consume hard drugs in the country is “alarming” and that if this problem is not dealt with immediately it would be “very worrying” for the country. He therefore moved a motion that they invite those institutions to explain to parliament about recent events that are drug abuse related.
Other Members of Parliament also suggested that they should not miss the opportunity of inviting all the necessary Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) connected to drug matter because they have received intelligence that these drugs are normally smuggled by sea into the country.
They also called on the speaker to also ask the Maritime agency to explain about the security status of the sea.
The Public Relations Officer of NDLEA, Ibrahim Kargbo, told Politico that drugs come into the country via land, air, and sea.
He said considering the information of rampant drug use, the agency had been doing “a lot to tackle this issue”, adding that “the control and prevention of the narcotic drugs from entering the country and the responsibility to raise awareness and sensitize the wider public is a mandate’’ they have been following”.
“We have been visiting schools, reaching out to communities and telling them about the harmful effects of drugs, and engaging civil society organizations and colleges have been a routine for our agency,” he said, further mentioning that they have met with bike riders, tricycle “kekeh” riders, and the Motor Drivers’ Union.
These drug users always look for things that will get them “high” as a result they do everything possible to get used to these drugs every day and hence the rampant use, he said, noting that the statistics that they had received from the numerous places show that “indeed drug abuse has been on the increase and young people are mostly involved”.
He said the reason these young people are frequently using drugs is because they do not have anything useful to do and as a result they tend to distract themselves by the act. “The effect of ‘Kush’ on the youth is about thirty minutes (after consuming it) and that is why these people go for it day in and out,” Kargbo stated.
He further explained that there are “legal and illegal drugs in the country, those that are legal are the ones that are in pharmacies; the illegal ones are those that come in to the country through illegal means like cocaine, ‘kush’.
‘’Normally these drugs are prohibited and are not allowed in to the country, but people do everything they can in order to bring these drugs into the country,” Kargbo explained.
He said they had solicited help from people and arrests have been made at the Queen Elizabeth Quay in Freetown, Bandama Check-point in Kenema, and Lungi in Port Loko.
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