By Ragan M. Conteh
The fight against Kush has taken a different dimension as MPs and other state actors have expressed their willingness to fight against the “deadly grain” in the country.
MPs and the cabinet and police have also consented to work towards ending the Kush scourge in the country.
During a town hall meeting organized by the Ministry of Information and Civil Education (MoICE), the Minister of Information, Chernor Bah confirmed that his son was a student at Bo School and he was forced to take drug in the school.
The minister made this disclosure while addressing stakeholders in a town hall meeting held at the Bintumani hotel conference center at Aberdeen in Freetown.
Minister Bah said his son was at the age of 15 when he was introduced by four Bo School pupils.
In 2021, the Minister said, he wrote a letter to the principal of Bo School and thankfully the administration acted speedily to address the situation.
The four boys who forced the minister’s son to take drugs were immediately expelled from the school.
He said he had to bring along his son to Freetown to avoid the drug intake.
Having explained his son ordeals at Bo School, the minister asked one of the survivors of Kush Alie Sheriff, a graduate with from Fourah Bay College (FBC) to explain his ordeal.
Alie Sheriff said, he graduated in 2016 at FBC, adding that he was hoping for a scholarship but sit for two years it didn’t materialized.
He said he later on went into job market saying after numerous applications he did not succeed and then he became disgruntle and traumatized thinking that taking drug is the only solution.
He said he was taken to rehabilitation center and thankfully he is no longer drug addict.
Sheriff told the gathering, he is still without job, adding that he was initially taken at the rehabilitation center at Hastings outskirts in Freetown and he is now a change man.
The Deputy Leader of Government business who is also representing Bo District said, previously the House engaged with Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs) by Parliament regarding tackling harmful drugs Kush.
In a meeting at the town hall with stakeholders at Bintumani in Freetown said Parliament is committed to the fight against Kush.
He added that Parliament is the greatest loser if the fight against Kush is unsuccessful because MPs are direct representatives of the people and they blame when things are good or bad.
In addition, Hon. Bashiru Silikie said Parliament has been using Standing Order (SO 23) to speak on the issue surrounding Kush.
He noted that Parliament moved a motion to summon (MDAs) in order to give MPs real-time updates regarding Kush. Honourable Silikie assured MPs are not just making laws, but always supporting the other organs of government including the executive and the judiciary for the development of Sierra Leone.
He concluded assuring that the executive arm of government will always review laws whenever necessary in the interest of Sierra Leone.
‘This is the beginning of the work of Parliament and that Parliament has been doing and will always showing commitment for the progress and developments of Sierra Leone,” he concluded.