The national security chair in the House Gbarpolu County Representative Alfred B. Koiwood strongly detests importation of illicit drugs and substances to Liberia, which he says threatens the country’s peace and security.
Speaking with reporters on Wednesday, 07 November in Monrovia, he calls a control mechanism and rigid enforcement of laws on the book by prosecuting people involved in illicit drugs importation and distribution.
He recommends that government should embark on stringent security measures to minimize daily influx of dangerous substances in the Liberian market.Representative Koiwood observes that since the inception of the Coalition for Democratic Change (CDC)-led government, the Liberia Drug Enforcement Agency or LDEA has made series of arrests of illicit drugs dealers, some of whom have been placed behind bars for illegal possession of illicit substances, but only to find out that these suspects are released from prison without allowing them to go through rehabilitation.
He warns that if nothing were seriously done to revisit the drug law in the country, it would have serious consequences on citizens and the government respectively.
The national security chair was amongst several international drug experts who attended an extraordinary conference in Brussels on Drugs Abuse and Illicit Importation in Africa, which most experts considered as dumping ground for drugs trafficking and abuses that may affect millions of lives.
He notes that the conference discussed series of issues regarding drugs abuse, summing up to some countries that attempted to legalize drugs trade and importation within their respective countries.
He stresses a need to organize a national drugs conference where key stakeholders would be invited to share their experiences and suggest a way forward.
Rep. Koiwood however, admonishes Liberian youth, most of who fall prey to substance abuse, to desist from taking in dangerous drugs, which could destroy their future and remain focused and determined towards a productive life.
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By Emmanuel Mondaye–Editing by Jonathan Browne
