By Ragan M. Conteh
The Sierra Leone People’s Party (SLPP) member of Parliament who doubles as the Deputy Leader of Government Business, Hon Bashiru Silikie, has warned that “the Judiciary should not settle for the least.”
“If the fight against kush is to succeed, the judiciary should be up to their game,” he said.
The MP made the assertions during the debate on the approval of the public health emergency earlier proclaimed by the President.
He said many a time when kush manufacturers, dealers and importers are arrested they are charged to court and they sometimes ended up being released and walk free.
He furthered that the police are also part of those compounding the kush problem, adding that law enforcers are also perpetrators and are involved in drug intake.
“Police are members and part of these ghettos,” he said.
He emphasised that most of these drugs are coming from the country’s seaport, Water Quay.
He also challenged the judiciary on his claims.
Making her submissions, the female Member of Parliament from Kono District, Hon Rebecca Y Kamara said young people are sleeping during the day after taking the kush, the substance abuse.
She said the emergency for kush is a laudable venture and that Parliament and authorities should not “talk the work” but should “work the talk.”
She pleaded with the law enforcers to make communities as priority in terms of curtailing the menace.
She revealed that currently the Kono correctional centers is filled up.
The MP from Kailahun, Hon Salia Quinton said the nation is drowning and the police officers are contradicting the laws and procedures while carrying out their operations.
He said the police is part of the menace and kush is slowly becoming a pandemic.
He also butressed on targeting the producers and the distributors.
The Opposition female MP, Hawa Conteh has stated that the drug has violated the dignity and pride of young people.
She said the smuggling and wicked dealers must be held to account.
The MP from Kailahun District, Hon Emilia Lolloh Tongi said without young people in a “nation that nation is dead.”
She urged for proactiveness because these young people taking kush don’t know what they are doing.
“We need to regain the country’s lost glory. Drug dealers have blood in their hands,” she asserted.