A group of wayward and less-fortunate Liberians commonly referred to here as “zogoes” have stormed the Monrovia City Corporation (MCC) garbage deposal site adjacent the Palm Grove Cemetery on Center Street Monrovia to collect pharmaceutical drugs dumped there. The drugs which include Diazepam and Tramadol were reportedly dumped at the MCC waste management site by unscrupulous dealers and importers without the presence of representatives from the Ministry of Health.
Some of the zogoes sheltering in an abandoned building opposite the cemetery are overwhelmed with substances because they have sufficient pieces of the dangerous tablets in their possession.
A female among the group who broke the news to this paper said several cartoons of drugs were dumped at the waste management site, adding that she decided to alert the media because many of her colleagues taking in the substances are becoming daisy and helpless.
She attributes the situation to lack of vigorous monitoring system by government to ensure operators of drug stores, pharmacies and importers of pharmaceutical products in the country do the right thing.
She wonders whether the Monrovia City Corporation does police its waste management sites across the city to arrest those dumping dangerous substances there, endangering public lives.
Meanwhile, several residents on Center Street are calling on the government to intervene in the situation that has a propensity of increasing the number of zogoes in the country.
They want concrete steps from the Ministry of Health and the Monrovia City Corporation to adequately provide waste management securities and monitors to prevent further dumping of dangerous drugs in public that could expose more youth to drugs abuse and other harmful practices.
By Emmanuel Mondaye
