Gbarnga, Bong County: Liberian award-winning journalist and rights advocate, Moses S. Bailey, has called on President Joseph Nyuma Boakai Sr , to direct the Armed Forces of Liberia (AFL) to join the fight against drugs in the country.

Mr. Bailey believes that involving the AFL will make the fight against drugs more effective, noting that the Liberia Drugs Enforcement Agency (LDEA) has so far struggled to deliver significant results.

In a Facebook post, Mr. Bailey expressed concern that since President Boakai declared the drug crisis a national emergency, he has not witnessed the level of attention and political will required to address it.

“You have since declared the drug issue a national emergency, but honestly, I have not seen the level of attention and political will necessary to treat it as such,” Mr. Bailey stated.

He reminded President Boakai that when former Presidents Ellen Johnson Sirleaf and George Weah declared the Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) and Coronavirus (COVID-19) national emergencies, they included the AFL to help enforce regulations, a decision he said was instrumental in eradicating both diseases from Liberia.

“When #Ebola and #COVID-19 were declared national emergencies by Presidents Ellen Johnson Sirleaf and George Weah, respectively, they included the AFL to help enforce the regulations put in place to stop the spread of the diseases,” he added.

Citing a security survey by NAYMOTE Partners for Democratic Development, Mr. Bailey noted that Liberians hold the AFL in high regard and are more likely to follow its instructions compared to any other security agency in the country.

He urged President Boakai to leverage this public trust in the AFL to strengthen the fight against drugs.

According to him, reports from community residents indicate that four young people recently died in the Soul Clinic Community in Monrovia, while another four or five young people died in Gbarnga, Bong County, within a single week from the same drug.

He described these deaths as a strong enough reason to launch a more aggressive and coordinated response.

“We cannot continue to wait and drag our feet. If something is an emergency, it must be treated with seriousness and urgency,” Mr. Bailey stressed.

Written by: Melvin Paylee Zico Siakor /mpzsiakor1847@gmail.com

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