By Ragan M Conteh

Members of Parliament from the SLPP party call for factory owners who are importers of chemicals into the country to be investigated.

According to them most of these kush substances are manufactured using harful chemicals.

“We need to know what these factories are doing with these chemicals. Our young generation is wiping out,” they said.

“We are expecting from the Inspector General of Police, and head of the Drugs Law Enforcement Agency; the authorities of the Sierra Leone Ports and Harbour Authority; Ministry of Health; Standards Bureau and other agencies to bring us data on the status of kush control in the country.

“Bring out big names of those kush cartels and importers,” he asked the authorities concerned.

The Member of Parliament from  Kono District who doubles as the Deputy Leader of government II, Hon Emerson Saa Lamina, made the Submissions on Monday 18 March 2024 at the Committee Room one in Parliament.

“We are Worried as a nation,” Hon Lamina said.

According to Hon Lamina those who are importers must be named and brought to book for their actions.

The MPs have also warned police officers to stop calling colleague officers to release criminals or drug barons from the cells.

The Chief Whip of the opposition, Hon Abdul Karim Kamara, said the speed at which authorities are responding to the kush is very slow and it is not good.

“I am suggesting that containers from Water Quay are escorted to owners homes and off-loaded in the presence of police officers to ascertain whether there is no harmful substance or drug in each of the containers.

The female SLPP MP, Hon Sarrah Soukenah observed the harmful drugs are imported by many big vans.

She urged all to go after the kush importers so as to help curtail the drug menace in the country.

The MP from the Western Area Urban East District of Freetown, Dr N’pha Sorie Koroma, also urged stakeholders and parliament to go after labs as well as empower communities to end the drug scourge.

The Female SLPP MP from Kailahun District explained that the country is suffering from by a “vicarious liability” and she urged parliament and all stakeholders concerned to bring paramount chiefs and headmen to fight and end kush smoking in Sierra Leone.

Hon Veronica Kadie Sesay urged MPs and all stakeholders to stop the “blame game” and make sure that everyday is involved.

She spoke on investing local boats, adding that in her constituency at Shengeh there are only five police officers and such a number is able to handle the drug abuse in that region.

“Today, doctors and some stakeholders are part of this cartel,” she said.

She however pleaded with all and sundry to break the kush chain and allow young people to develop themselves into meaningful citizens.