By Janet A. Sesay
The Inspector General of Police (IGP) William Fayai Sellu, Honourable Princess Daramy, Kissy community stakeholders, Drivers Union, police wives and school children on Saturday, 18th May, 2024, embarked on another one million man march at Kissy in the eastern part of Freetown.
This march is to raise awareness about the effects of kush. Making a statement after the march, Inspector General Sellu, in his keynote address, said there have been efforts made by the police and community stakeholders in fighting against kush in the Kissy Division.
He said kush is not only in Sierra Leone but all over the world, adding that Sierra Leone is one of the countries that has taken concrete steps in the issue of kush and is in fact producing results.
The Inspector General of Police furthered that he is happy seeing people like school children, police wives and everybody in the community represented to send this clear message about kush.
He said having the march alone along the street has sent a message to people about the effects of kush without making a speech. He said the message they are sending out is that we should work together to stop kush.
He said police officers are not much so they are relieing on the community people to give information to the police that will help stop kush in the country.
The IGP continued that kush is made with acetone, an added chemical that they add onto different leaves that is being sourced from East Africa and the Middle East.
He said when brought to Sierra Leone, they cut the leaves like marijuana and mix it with the chemical before they start peddling the finished product.
He continue that the dangers of kush is when taken it goes into the blood stream because the chemical they use to prepare it is heavy and so it increases the blood spreading and when the blood circulate in the body it goes down to the feet and it will not be able to come up again and that is why those taken kush has swollen feet.
He said when the blood is filled down the feet without coming up the feet will burst and sore will come out. He further that most of them have sores on their feet and that is the bad thing about Kush.
He further that the good thing is that everyone is now aware that kush is not good, adding that during Independent he was happy when he saw over fifteen groups marching across Freetown campaigning against kush.
He said kush is everybody’s business and pleaded with community people to give information to the police on those selling kush in the community.
He also informed principals about tramadol taken by students in schools, adding that the accepted milligram for tramadol usage is 50mg.
He said they are now seeing 225 milligrams of tramadol and if anyone is seen with it the person will be arrested for possession of prohibited drugs.
Mr Sellu said what is happening in schools now is that the children are putting tramadol inside butterscotch selling it in schools.
He gave a strong warning to principals that they should stopped teachers and students selling butterscotch in schools.
He said if they caught any school doing such act they would close the school and the principal or head teacher will be in serious trouble.
The chief said a lot of children have gone wild behind butterscotch in schools.
He thanked the Kissy community for their efforts and appeal to them to continue supporting the police to fight against drugs.
The police chief said the kush fight has already been won as government has set up a taskforce who are working and the police are working with them together.
He thanked the police wives for their efforts in the fight.
One of the community stakeholders Chris Massaquoi in his statement said stopping kush is a collective responsibility where we all can come together to stop kush.
He further stated that kush has a lot of problem attached to it that is called terminal disease, adding that some of these terminal diseases are incurable.
He said if somebody takes kush he or she’s end product is death, adding that a person taking kush has poor family history, social impairment, loss of control and the person at a point in time is not recognised by family.
William Fayia Sellu said if people did not stop taking kush they will be after them, adding that police, community, and the neighbourhood would not stop to go after them until they stop taking kush.
He said the future of the country depends on the youth and so they are ensuring the youth have brighter future and everybody should be mentally sane and do what is right.
Local Unit Commander Kissy police station, Chief Superintendent of Police Sao Vandi said kush has caused a lot of problems in our country, adding that as a country we have fought Ebola, COVID-19 and now fighting kush, which means that police officers are midfielders playing everywhere.
He said the police cannot fight this alone and that is why they are in good working spirit with the community people and the Local Police Partnership Board to fight against kush, not only in the Kissy Division but the country as a nation whole.
He pleaded that everybody should come on board to fight against kush, adding that the police force is small but with the help of the community they can succeed in this fight.
He said they need sensitisation in schools and marketplaces educating people about the effects of kush.
Mr. Bla, representing the schools, said this is a great thing as they are dealing with students in schools.
He said this programme gives the awareness and consciousness that everybody should come around and try to contribute and stop kush in the country.
He said kush has effects on children going to school and so this level of communication is good to help eradicate kush in the country.
Honourable Princess Daramy said this march signifies that everybody should come on board to drive kush out of our country, adding that she is representing the government in her constituency and that the law that they have passed in parliament about kush is that if anyone is found with kush the law will take its course and the person will be taken to a rehab centre.
He said at the rehab centre if the victim reforms he or she will learn skills that would help them in society.
She said anyone found selling kush will face the law and they will not take pleas from anyone.
She advised everyone to stay away from kush and pleaded with parents to tell their children to stay away from kush.
She thanked the police for their effort in fighting against kush.
The Regional Commander, Freetown East, ACP Francis B. Meinday said they are happy for the march to fight and eliminate kush in various communities.
He said this all started when they were at a meeting with IGP Fayai Sellu who told them that he wants to see the first region that would call up a meeting involving all stakeholders as a way of sensitisation to see how best kush can be reduced in their communities.
He said they have started the campaign but during that time they did not invite the IGP but gracing this occasion they thought it fit to invite him, adding that they started this campaign at Harmon Division and they held another meeting at Eastern Police Division and this one they held today at kissy.
He said they have to also visit the Grafton and Waterloo divisions.
Commander Meinday said fighting kush lies on three ways which include government, police and the people of this country, adding that government has done their own part as president Bio has declared national health emergency on drugs and substance abuse.
He furthered that the declaration spread throughout the country and all the chiefdoms, regions should take responsibility to ensure that kush becomes a thing of the past.
He said the government also set up a committee who should spearhead this fight just like during the terms of Ebola and COVID-19, adding that the government also went further to establish rehab centres wherein victims of circumstances are going there and be counselled by people about the effects of kush and at the end of the day they learned skills that would be very useful to them and will create positive impact on the society.
As for the police force every week they are carrying out a round race in which every Local Unit Commander of every station gives him statistics of all the rate they have conducted the statistics has to be forwarded to the IGP.
He said the police would not be everywhere at the same time and so that is why they trusted in the community people to give them information and they would act on it.
He said most of the information given by the community people has been dealt with where the victims have been taken to court and some have been convicted.
He furthered that this fight is everyone’s fight and everyone should unite to ensure that kush becomes a thing of the past.
The Director of Operations, Dr. Martin J. Senessie in his statement said that substance abuse in our country at one point in time reached a peak where people took illegal drugs like chewing groundnuts.
He said because of that members of Parliament came together and made sure that a law was passed and they as police it is their responsibility to enforce the laws being passed by parliament.
He appreciated the Kissy community especially the Local Unit Commander for operating in fellowship with the community to put hands together with the community to fight this worst enemy that is destroying the future of this country.
He assured the community that as long as they have partnered with the police they will continue to give them the maximum support to eradicate kush in the country.
Director of Gender and community Affairs AIG Mustapha Kamara in his statement said together we can stop kush, adding that there is no way police alone can stop this fight but need the cooperation of the people.
He said the community people are very meaningful to the police, adding that they have to work together to remove kush out of this country.
The AIG continued to look at the statistics which enables them to tell that the crime rate has reduced, adding that those that are causing problems in the society are those who take kush.
He said whenever they go out to arrest kush victims they will always meet them sleeping but people should not sit down and wait until this drug continues to swallow into our fabric, nation, and our youth.
Kamara said kush is a very bad thing in the society as it affects students, those employed and it brings a setback to the development of the nation.
The AIG said the youth who are contributing meaningfully to the development of the country, if they get involved in this drug taking they will not be able to contribute again anything meaningful to the country.
He therefore advised the community people to give report on people who sells kush and those who take it. He said there is no way we can succeed this fight except we work as a team.