By Kadijatu Bangura, Daily Scope
In a candid interview with Liberty Online TV, Chernor Bah, the Minister of Information and Civic Education, acknowledged that the Sierra Leonean government has not done enough to address the rising issue of kush and other harmful drugs in the country.
Minister Bah stated, “I will be the first to admit that we haven’t done the best job yet regarding kush. I won’t mislead the public; as a government, we have a significant role to play. But it’s also crucial for every citizen to be involved. We recognize that there is much more we can do.”
He shared a personal story highlighting the severity of the drug problem, revealing that his 12-year-old son was once offered kush at school—a moment he described as deeply troubling and indicative of the widespread nature of the issue.
The Minister also addressed the ongoing investigation into a scandal involving drug trafficking and diplomatic passports. He confirmed that the government is looking into how a foreign national allegedly acquired a Sierra Leonean diplomatic passport. “While no one has contacted us yet, we are taking proactive measures to review current passport holders and strengthen the system to prevent future misuse,” he explained.
This controversy arises amidst reports linking international drug traffickers, including Turkish national Abdullah Alp Üstün (alias Don Vito) and Dutch fugitive Jos Leijdekkers (alias Bolle Jos), to Sierra Leonean passports. Although the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has stated there is no official record of either individual holding a Sierra Leonean passport, investigations are ongoing into potential forgery or unauthorized issuance of such documents.
The scandal has raised serious concerns regarding corruption, oversight failures, and Sierra Leone’s vulnerability to international drug networks at a time when kush addiction is wreaking havoc on communities nationwide.
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