...Residents of Hard Hit New Kru Town Claim
A wave of what many referred to as Kush-related deaths is on the rise in many communities in an around Monrovia, with the latest hard-hit area being the Borough of New Kru Town where young people are losing their lives in numbers.
Almost at the same time, three young Liberians late last week fell to the cold hands of death in the Point Four belt of New Kru Town, with residents blaming such situation on Kush, a dangerous narcotic substance young are fond of taking, in addition to other substances that continue to impugn on their health and dampen their future.
"Just this morning alone, three boys died to Kush," said a resident of Point Four who claimed that the situation has become unmanageable and uncontrollable. "Our young people are losing their lives on a daily basis as a result of this particular substance which has permeated the society."
Dozens of residents rushed out of their homes to the horrible scenes of the comatose remains of the youthful citizens spread in different areas of the slump community, one in Colonel West, another in central Point Four and other around Bong Mines Bridge.
While some residents showed remorse or commiseration for the dead youthful citizens, others classified their death as "what you sow is what you reap" situation. "They chose to cut their lives short due to their unwillingness to do away with this habit," said Patrick King, a resident of Point Four.
And while some wailed over the remains of the deceased, others focused on how the situation could be brought under control, urging the government to do more in addressing the problem.
"One body is here, another one is on the other side, while the other is Bong Mines Bridge," remarked a female who said she could not bear the pains of saying young people dying in their droves as it was during the plague of the dangerous Ebola Virus which decimated the country several years ago.
A resident told this paper at one of the scenes that they have been witnessing death of young people since the arrival of Kush and other dangerous narcotic substances in the bailiwick of the country. "This is a daily experience losing our kids to this drug," stated tearful Martha Morris who explained that his sister son died last year as a result of Kush.
"Sometimes last year, dead bodies littered everywhere in our community," said she, and added that residents are being affected by the situation to some extent because some of the bodies at times decayed and smelled.
In situation where the bodies decomposed and created health hazard for residents, the residents often come together to remove them while government showed no much interest.
In a similar case, this paper gathered that residents of the Point Four Community last week came together and paid money to remove a decomposing body.
Liberia has been experiencing rise in the use of drug and other substances since the end of the war which continue to blame the problem on.
Dozens of young people are said to have died from drug-related sicknesses in spite of a huge national outcry against the use and plague of dangerous element.
The proliferation of drug in the country and the advent of Kush was blamed on the regime of former President George Manneh Weah, who many said did nothing much to nip the problem in the butt, while the issue of Kush killing young people become a political tool during last year's legislative and Presidential elections which brought current President Joseph Boakai to power.
Political analysts believed the defeat of ex-President Weah was partly tied to the poor management of the drug situation, as most Liberians were convinced that he was part of the problem.
Since taking to power, President Boakai has shown interest in getting rid of the situation by announcing and taking practical steps, but the problem continues to persist unabatedly.
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During his first Annual Address to the Nation in late January, President Boakai declared drugs and substance abuse as National Health Emergency, and also constituted a Committee charged with the responsibility to oversee steps to address the growing health and security threat. Nothing much has been heard of the Special Committee after four to five months of its formation.
President Boakai as a show of leadership, seriousness and commitment, led an array of government officials to take drug test at the Executive Mansion, with negative results.
The entity of government charged with the statutory responsibility of fighting the plague of drug in the country is presently in the grip of power struggle, to the extent where President Boakai recently suspended the Director General and his two deputies.
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