By Emmanuel wise Jipoh
Liberia Drugs Enforcement Agency (LDEA) Director-designate Col. Abraham Kromah has vowed to be robust in fighting the drugs war.
Mr. Kromah is awaiting his Senate confirmation hearing after being nominated this month by President Joseph Nyumah Boakai to lead the nation’s fight against illicit drug trade and abuse.
Substance abuse is damaging a lot of Liberian youth, some of them high school or college graduates.
The past regime witnessed increased importation of illicit drugs even nearing the end of the six-year rule.
But the former deputy police chief for operation, now designated to head the LDEA, Col. Kromah, has assured citizens that his leadership will ensure that illicit drugs are minimized here.
He spoke with reporters shortly after President Boakai declared drugs a national public health emergency during his first State of the Nation Address (SONA) on Monday at the Capitol in Monrovia.
Col. Kromah said he would strongly deal with the issue of drug importation in the country while accurately tracking drug traffickers.
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He promised to apprehend suspects according to the law of Liberia and to ensure the rehabilitation of those who are victimized by illicit substances.
Col. Kromah said the drug war is dangerous, and as such it needs a robust approach to tackling the harm it poses to the youthful generation.
He indicated that the LDEA will ensure a vigilant and resilient approach to combating drugs.
“Drugs remain a national public emergency,” and as a head of the DEA we’ll remain robust against this fight to ensure our society is drugs free,” he noted.
At the LDEA, he said his administration will make sure that every LDEA officer takes the drug test.
He added that after the President and the Vice President have taken their tests, he will be the third.
Before Boakai declared drugs a national Public Health Emergency, illicit drug abuse had been on the rampage, with the narcotic substance rampantly increasing daily in the country.
To aid the fight against drugs and the rehabilitation of its users, the Government of Liberia in June 2023, launched a 13.9 million dollar initiative to fund rehabilitation in a center for At-Risk Youth.
On that occasion, former President George Manneh Weah declared the issue of At-Risk Youth a National Emergency.
Drugs abuse is a serious threat to the youth and the nation at large. It’s my prayers that this excise will take effect across all worth of life and all sectors or entities across the country.
Drugs abuse is a serious war in Liberia right now, some of our brothers see dump site today as a beautiful place to live.
The Boakai led government, we want to urge you do your job effectively. Judgement became from the house of God. If someone input drugs in the country, the young people will not into their habit. Please take serious note of drugs dealers, don’t make them your friends. Remember that the Bible says; Light and darkness has nothing in common.
At this time, where our country is going through a war on drug, what we need is the passage and implementations of strong laws and above all, robust and patriotic leaders…