PHOTO: Little Melvin, face not shown
By Charles Gbayor, maorethason1997@gmail.com
A 14-year-old student of the J.S. Pratt High United Methodist School in Liberia’s southeastern port city of Harper, Maryland County has been caught red-handed allegedly smoking what was discovered to be Marijuana during school hours, in an area situated more than 637 kolometers from Monrovia.
The teenage student is in the 7th grade and he was caught early Thursday morning, April, 29, 2021, in a building close to the school campus.
Student Melvin Brooks who spoke to www.newspublictrust.com early last Thursday morning (April 29, 2021), has confirmed engaging in the act of smoking marijuana, but apologized to his parents and the school for such “bad habit”.
Began smoking Marijuana since 2019 & Illicit substance sells for only LD$50
The teenager admitted that it was not his first time smoking drugs; saying that he got initiated into the practice in 2019 when he was 12 years old by his older in the J. Lama Cox Community in Harper, Maryland County where he currently resides.
The 14 year-old boy also disclosed that he usually buy the marijuana foe $50.00 Liberian Dollars from a man in his community in order for he and his older brother to smoke.
Harper District Township Commissioner, Mr. Jonathan Harmon said, the 14 year- old suspect was caught in the unwholesome act along with a friend.
Mr. Harmon explained that while on his way to work early Thursday morning at about 8:46am, he was astonished to noticed that two male students of the JS Pratt High School in an old house molding and smoking the harmful substance.
“I rushed on them immediately when I saw and identified what exactly they were doing, I was shocked and embarrassed with the marijuana smell and I quickly reported them to their school authorities including the media,” the Township Commissioner further said.
The situation is not the first of its kind, especially among teenagers in the County, Mr. Harmon disclosed to www.newspublictrust.com,
Local official Urges swift action by Gov’t Against Rising Illicit Drugs Abuse
A, he said there is a need for the Liberian government to act effectively, in order to arrest those who normally traffic or bring into the country these harmful substances that are destroying the children gradually.
The Harper Commissioner pointed out that although there are laws on the books to deter perpetrators from engaging into such unlawful acts, drugs abuse is yet still happening.
With the increase in the use of illicit drugs by youths and students, the government needs to be more practical, robust and take drastic actions or decisions to prevent such from happening.
Mr. Harmon noted that today is little Melvin but tomorrow it could be someone else’s child or children.
For his part, Mr. Markenzine Blackmon, acting Principal of JS Pratt high school appreciated the Township Commissioner for arresting student Melvin and encourage others to follow the act the of the commissioner.
”Thank God he has been caught by a prominent citizen here in Maryland County, this is what we have been going through here on the campus as administrators, these children whenever they have been observed of such habit by their fellow students, they most often argued and denied that they are not in such habit,“ Principal Blackmon noted.
”It is so embarrassing this morning to see my student been caught right handed in such unlawful act especially with his age and class, Markenzine uttered.
He disclosed that according to the Student Handbook, the school will institute the appropriate punishment befitting his offense and also threatened expulsion if he (Student -Melvin) failed to call his parents on the campus,” the acting Principal of the JS Pratt High School added.
Although student Melvin didn’t disclose the name of his customer he usually buy from in order to make the work easy for the Liberian Drugs Enforcement Agency.
It can be recalled that the JS Pratt High School in Harper Maryland County, has suspended three of its students for similar bad attitude.
The situation of students smoking/using harmful drugs is worrisome due to the alarming rate of drugs addiction that was mostly highlighted during the third phase of President Weah County tour and Citizens engagement in Margibi, Grand Bassa and Rivercess Counties.
Meanwhile, the Liberian Drugs Enforcement Agency (LDEA) has intervened in the latest situation involving the teenage student and says it has launched an investigation into the matter.