08/07/2025
President Boakai’s Full Statement issued in regards to Anti Drugs.
SPECIAL PRESIDENTIAL STATEMENT
Issued By
His Excellency Joseph Nyuma Boakai, Sr.
President of the Republic of Liberia
on the Wave of Drug Proliferation Across Liberia
Executive Mansion
Monrovia, Liberia
Wednesday, August 6, 2025
Fellow Liberians,
Today, I address you not just as your President, but as a father, a citizen, and a patriot deeply disturbed by the dangerous surge of drug abuse and trafficking in our country. What we are witnessing across Liberia is not merely a rise in crime — it is an attack on our future.
In our country today, we see overwhelming evidence of the outrage of our populace over with this alarming threat of drug abuse. We hear loud voices; we see demonstrations, community reactions, and citizens’ protestations against the menace. My Government welcomes this unanimous stand in opposition to this threat to our national fabric.
Let me particularly applaud the Liberia Drug Enforcement Agency (LDEA) for the strenuous efforts in advancing this fight to roll back this surge.
I also proudly congratulate all individuals and institution that have shown so much love for country in standing their grounds and continuing to fight against this public menace.
It is our prayer that we can together go beyond expression of our disgust over the epidemic. Let us move further onto concrete action steps that will complement efforts by the Government to put this onslaught into retreat.
That is why I today hail the Multisectoral Steering Committee on Drugs and Substance Abuse for its multifaceted and coordinated work within and among the various sector ministries and agencies since its establishment early last year.
Special thanks go to Steering Committee Chairperson Dr. Louise M. Kpoto, Minister of Health, Co-Chairperson Cllr. Oswald N. Tweh, Minister of Justice, and the steadfast Committee members for the recent Narrative Progress Report submitted to my Office.
While I am hugely impressed and encouraged by the progress registered on various fronts of this battle, as outlined in the findings of the Committee, I equally appreciate the enormity of the challenges that face us as a nation. The Committee’s findings and recommendations are under serious consideration.
Compatriots,
We cannot allow the spread of illicit drugs to turn our children into victims, our communities into ghettos and our neighborhoods to shelters for criminal elements. This national emergency demands more than words — it demands bold, sustained and irreversible actions. We have been hard at work in this fight, never wavering in our resolve.
This is why I am announcing a National Anti-Drug Action Plan that this Government will begin enforcing immediately:
• We will seize any property used to harbor or support drug dealers, consistent with law. To the extent allowed by law, landlords, neighbors, and accomplices will be arrested and prosecuted,
• All LDEA regional commanders now face a 6-month results mandate. Where no improvement is registered within 6 months, immediate administrative action—investigation, transfer or suspension and other actions deemed appropriate--will be instituted,
• A national whistleblower program will offer cash rewards and protection for any citizen who reports drug trafficking or abuse,
• We will fast-track drug cases in courts in the prosecution of offenders and ensure swift disposition with mandatory sentencing. No delays. No exceptions,
• We will invest in the expansion of rehabilitation centers nationwide for addicted youth and source funding for reentry programs that turn victims into victors,
• We will invest in surveillance technology, scanners, and canine units at all borders, airports, and seaports. Liberia must not remain a drug corridor,
• An anti-drug curriculum will be introduced in schools, with random drug testing being introduced in high-risk institutions and populations,
• We are reinforcing the National Drug Emergency declared last year, activating expanded security powers to conduct raids, search operations, and community lockdowns when and where necessary,
• The bank accounts and assets of suspected drug traffickers will be frozen immediately, as we work with financial institutions to expose criminal networks, and finally,
• We will significantly increase the national anti-drug budget.
I have no doubt that we all agree that this fight cannot be won with mere speeches and slogans. In spite of the prevalence of fiscal challenges facing the Government, as occasioned by sudden withdrawal of critical international support by some partners, which we are weathering, we are mandating the fiscal authorities to up budgetary allocations to this fight. Focus will be given to the following critical areas:
LDEA Operations & Equipment
Rehabilitation Centers & Staffing
Border Surveillance Technologies
Public Education Campaigns
Legal System Strengthening (courts, prosecutors, forensic units)
Further, we will reallocate, cut unnecessary spending, and mobilize donor and partner support — but Liberia primarily will fund its own fight first.
In closing let me give you this Final Word. Let it be known that no status, no title, no uniform, and no connection will protect anyone involved in drugs. Whether a street peddler or a high-ranking official, the law will reach and teach you. Liberia will not lose another generation to drugs. Not on my watch.
I therefore urge every Liberian — every parent, every teacher, every leader — to rise now. This Government commits to providing the leadership, with the needed political will, but the people must stand.
Together, we will not just fight, we will win. Thank you and may God bless the Republic of Liberia.
