07/08/2025
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The Urgent Need For An Unprecedented Approach In A More Drastic But Highly Systematic Style:
✍️ by: Timothy M. Derklah
It can be evidentially recalled that for too long, as a nation, we have had series of anti-drug awarenesses and parades across Liberia, and they yielded no tangible transformation regarding the minimizing or curtailing of illicit drugs trafficking through our borders, secret selling in our communities and the addictive use of those drugs by our mothers, fathers, brothers and sisters. Instead, the situation has grown from manageable to uncontrollable.
I raise my two hands skyhigh and join my forceful voice to millions of voices to deeply congratulate every since victim-relative and non victim-relative (Liberians) who marched in one accord to call on national government for a swift interventional fight against the smuggling of illicit drugs in Liberia. You guys are heroes and heroines. History have recorded itself.
However, will today be the solemn end of illegal importation of illicit drugs into the country? No. As it is mostly alleged, will our joint security officers at our borders refrain from bribery? I guess not now. Will those secretly selling drugs in our various communities stop doing transactions with their customers (our sons, daughters, brothers and sisters)? No. Therefore, we are still at a crossroad in this fight against against drugs.
And frankly speaking, this fight is still partial; not holistic. Because some are still sitting on the fence un-bothered; while some don't want to see it end due to their financial benefits, but pretending to be so dearly against it — they were equally in attendance of the parade on today and hypocritically showcased their disenchantment against illicit drugs.
The question is, should we continue to use our energy building a zinc house but expect ourselves to wake up the following morning and see a royal castle? It is dare impossible!
Is a nationwide "parade" or "march" one of the mechanisms to embark on a journey against harmful substances in the country? A BIG YES. But is it the primary action to take? A LOUD NO.
A same form of approach produces a similar result. Drug Addiction is a seed that germinates from beneath the ground into a visible plant.
"When a particular quantity of water is already wasted, a wise man doesn't dig the ground to reacquire it. He goes back to the well or hand-pump for another. But this time, he becomes more careful not to allow the same mistake be repeated." ~Tim M. Derk~
As we go about this anti-drug combat, we are at a juncture where our fast-growing children should be a priority to us, and the ones already addicted be seconded. It is similar to saving the "innocent" from the "acknowledged".
The unfriendly truth is: Let's give more focus to the innocent growing children in our homes, communicate, etcetera... They need all the love and the protection we can possibly give to them. Let's give it now or continue to live in hope and see them become zombies and die immaturely.
A brief list of responsibilities for both the Government of Liberia and Anti-drug Campaigners:
1. The Government of Liberia through the Liberia Drugs Enforcement Agency (LDEA) and the Liberia National Police (LNP), should engage community leaders and establish an Anti-drug Task Force in each community across the fifteen political subdivisions of Liberia. Note: Those to be picked by their community leadership for the task force should be non-users, and some other requirements should follow. (Government)
2. All state security personnels currently at our various borders or entrances should be repositioned to different areas of assignment. This is very important for the sake of knowing the root-cause of how, where and when illicit drugs enter Liberia. (Government)
3. The respective salaries and other job benefits of those assigned to our borders should be looked into and reconditioned. This eases bribery. (Government)
4. The GoL should make sure that every academic year, anti-drug education and its related are vigorously taught in both public and private schools. (Government)
5. Parents, Guardians and Community dwellers should STOP sending underage children to buy them alcoholic beverages. This leads to the practice of underage drinking. One step at a time, it leads to the ones we are fighting today. (Anti-drug Campaigners)
6. Use a security method to show-out people who are secretly selling harmful substances in your communities — even if it is your relative. That makes you a patriot. (Anti-drug Campaigners)
7. Parents, Guardians and Community dwellers should see it as their responsibility to help raise those growing friends of their children. Why? Because if the friend of your child becomes rebel and start to consume bad substances, that is going to likely have an influence on your child, because of their relationship as friends. (Anti-drug Campaigners)
There is a typical saying in Liberia, which says; "If ley house na seh you, ley street wey na buy you!"
Now that our sleeves are have been rolled up, our hats have been removed and our boots have been tightened to fight against the use of illicit substances by our wayward mothers, fathers, brothers and sisters, let us not erase a fact of how we are also indirect contributors to the life some of those aforementioned individuals are living today.
How? A woman now was once a girl. A man now was once a boy. While they grew up to be of those ages they are right now, they lived with either their biological parents, guardians or other caretakers. What transpired during those periods of their upbringings as children?
Like another saying goes; "Life is garbage in, garbage out."
However, it is sometimes wise enough to forget the root-cause of the problem, but decisively find an amicable way to solve it without reoccurrence.
As we saw on today under a profuse downpour of rain scores of Liberian men, women, boys and girls left from their various homes and harmlessly paraded those streets and later gathered to hand-deliver a petition to the Government of Liberia, through the National Legislature, calling for a robust administrative and physical attacks against the trafficking and usage of illicit substances in the country.
In my oversight view and objective opinion, the prime organizers of today's "Anti-Drugs Parade" should have adequately looked beyond the horizon of inclusion to equally highlight some harmful alcoholic beverages that have similarly placed some of our mothers, fathers, brothers and sisters into a zone of addiction — to an extent that some youth have eventually died due to liver failure, and some are no longer physically useful to the society.
Reason being, whether a person smokes w**d or consumes an acid-like alcoholic beverage, the end result of them both is "INTOXICATION".
There are some alcoholic beverages that are equally disastrous as those illicit substances. Therefore, today's August 7th March should have indicated them.
We are now on board a flight, and the pilot and co-pilot are H.E. Joseph Nyuma Boakai Sr. and H.E. Jeremiah Kpan Koung Sr.
The crew members are: The Liberian Senate, the The Honourable House of Representatives Republic of Liberia, Liberia Drug Enforcement Agency-Ldea, the Liberia National Police - LNP, the Inspection Division of the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, Liberia (MOCI), the Ministry of Education - Liberia (MOE), the Ministry of Information, Cultural Affairs & Tourism (MICAT), the Ministry of Justice - Liberia (MOJ) and the Anti-drug Campaigners consisting of Local leaders, Parents, Guardians, etcetera...
As we anticipate a drug-free society and a better living environment, let us Think Liberia (mindset), Love Liberia (heart) and Build Liberia (action) 🇱🇷
