What Happens To The Fight Against Rising Narcotic Drugs Menace In Liberia Now?
PHOTO: (L-R) Suspended LDEA Boss Abraham and Deputy Hassan Fadiga
Our Staff Writer
The fight against the upsurge in illicit drugs in the Liberian society has taken a blow with furious division within the top ranks of the Liberia Drugs Enforcement Agency (LDEA), which recently led to the national police moving to its headquarters to bring a violent row under control.
LDEA head, Abraham Kromah and his two deputies have been at loggerheads for quite some time now, something President Joseph Nyuma Boakai has apparently got fed up with, suspending Director Kromah and his two deputies with immediate effect today, Tuesday, June 4, 2024.
An Executive Mansion press release said: “The acts of disorder and chaos that took place at the headquarters of the LDEA were unacceptable.”
The local media have been flooded with reports that the high command of the LDEA have been at one another’s throats for months now since taking office, Director Kromah and. Gbawou Kowou, and the Deputy Director General for Operations, Mr. Hassan Fadiga of the Liberian Drug Enforcement Agency (LDEA).
Although in late April, Kromah told the Ministry of Information regular press conference that “I’m on good terms with Fadiga,” the feud reportedly intensified in recent weeks.
When taking office some four months ago, President Boakai declared the drugs menace as a national health emergency. Apart from the deadly “Kush” synthetic substance that has spread across Liberia in recent year, the now suspended LDEA boss announced that a new more dreadful narcotic substance is now in Liberia called “Zombie”.
BELOW IS FULL TEXT OF THE EXECUTIVE MANSION PRESS RELEASE:
PRESIDENT BOAKAI SUSPENDS WITH IMMEDIATE EFFECT THE DIRECTOR GENERAL, DEPUTY DIRECTORS FOR ADMINISTRATION & OPERATIONS OF THE LIBERIA DRUG ENFORCEMENT AGENCY (LDEA)
TUESDAY, June 4, 2024:-The President of the Republic of Liberia, His Excellency Joseph N. Boakai, Sr., has, with immediate effect, suspended, without pay, pending investigation, the Director General, Mr. Abraham S. Kromah, Deputy Director General for Administration, Mr. Gbawou Kowou, and the Deputy Director General for Operations, Mr. Hassan Fadiga of the Liberian Drug Enforcement Agency (LDEA).
The President has in the meantime ordered an investigation of the events occurring at the Agency on June 3, 2024.
He said, “the acts of disorder and chaos that took place at the headquarters of the LDEA were unacceptable.”
Such acts, the President continued, threaten public peace and undermine Government’s fight against illicit drugs.
In the interim, the President has named Mr. Christopher Peters, as Officer in Charge (OIC) of the Agency pending the conclusion of the investigation. Peters is a well-trained security personnel and comes highly recommended.