Mayor Yvonne Aki-Sawyerr OBE: Sierra Leone Telegraph: 26 January 2025:
The escalating crisis of illegal substance abuse, particularly the kush epidemic, poses a grave threat to our city and country. In April 2024, His Excellency President Julius Maada Bio declared substance abuse as a national emergency, but the devastating consequences of this epidemic are increasingly evident in Freetown.
Youth are dropping out of schools and universities, abandoning jobs, and sleeping rough on the streets.
Many are turning to illegal waste collection, petty crime and burglaries to fund their addiction, while others suffer from debilitating health conditions, mental illnesses, and open wounds.
Most tragically, lives are being lost at an alarming rate.
As Mayor, I witness these harrowing realities daily. Our teams regularly collect the lifeless bodies of young people from the streets – victims of addiction to drugs that others profit from illegally.
These are not just numbers or statistics; they are sons and daughters whose futures have been stolen, leaving behind grieving mothers and broken families.
I have followed recent news reports about the unscheduled landing of a small aircraft at Hastings, the sighting of a submarine at Black Johnson Beach and the seizure of large quantities of cocaine in a vehicle belonging to the Sierra Leone Embassy in Guinea.
Although government authorities have stated that there was no suspicious cargo on board the aircraft and the submarine, these unusual happenings together with the vehicle cocaine seizure, are deeply disturbing.
Our youth are not just the future of Freetown – they are integral to the present. Allowing their lives to be destroyed by drug abuse undermines not only their potential but also the prosperity and stability of our city.
We can not afford complacency in the face of this crisis. Decisive, credible, and immediate action is required from the government to combat the flow of kush, cocaine, and other illegal substances into our communities.
I appeal to His Excellency President Julius Maada and all relevant government agencies to urgently take the necessary actions to close the channels enabling this drug trade.
We at the Freetown City Council stand ready to support initiatives aimed at preventing the entry of illegal substances into our markets, assisting addicted youth in their recovery, and providing comfort to grieving families.
A thriving, empowered youth population requires an environment that nurtures them – not one that pulls them into despair, criminality, and untimely deaths.
With determination and commitment, this devastating trend can still be reversed. Swift action is required to safeguard the health and futures of our young people.
Freetown City Council is committed to working hand in hand with the government to create a brighter, safer, and more hopeful future for all.
Together, we can ‘Transform Freetown’ and ensure that we are truly Transforming Lives.
#TransformFreetown
#TransformingLives
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