By Mohammed M. Bamba, Jr
According to the Global Action for Sustainable Development, 2023 situational analysis reports on Drug Abuse in Liberia, “ Liberia is fast becoming a significant transit country for illicit narcotics, the country’s nascent law enforcement capacity, porous border controls, and proximity to major drug transit routes contribute to trafficking to and through Liberia”. The report also indicated that there are 866 ghettos in Monrovia and over 100,000 of the estimated number of substance users.
(https://wfad.se/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/drug-SITUATION-analyis-Global-Action-for-Sustain
able-Development.pdf) This situation of drug abuse and illicit trafficking has hit its zenith as the current leadership of the Liberia Drug Enforcement Agency led by a renowned ex-rebel Abraham Kromah has either become a culprit or a facilitator in the widespread of the crisis which continues to destroy the young population of our country.
On February 6, 2024, the Liberian Senate in total disregard for the terrible human rights violation record of Abraham Kromah confirmed him as the Director General for the Liberia Drug Enforcement Agency.
The Senate unconsciously ignored the despicable track record of Abraham Kromah as an Ex ULIMO fighter, human rights abuser and one of the most tyrannical Inspector General for Operations of the Liberia National Police and confirmed him.
We believe that confirmation hearings in Liberia most especially recently have been highly influenced by the President of Liberia as a show of Presidential authority and dominance which has served as a conduit for growing an imperial presidency in our country. The notion that the President is always right so the oversight responsibility of the Senate seems dead to not be seen as challenging the authority of the President.
Since January 22, 2024, we have witnessed the confirmation of scores of nominated officials of the Executive many have had a tainted or checkered history and one of those is Abraham Kromah of the Liberia Drug Enforcement Agency.
Abraham Kromah who served as a Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces of Liberia during the the interim of government in 1996 to the elections in 1997 as a representative of the defunct ULIMO K warring faction.
This period in the history of the AFL is considered one of the most polarized and tyrannical eras of the AFL. The period was marred by ethnic division in the force as Abe was promoting members of the ULIMO-K -K to top positions which contributed to heavily dividing the force.
Abe’s track record of law enforcement in Liberia brings fresh memories of torture, killing, harassment and countless human rights violations.
Hence, it’s been Eighty-Five Days since Abraham Kromah was confirmed as the Director General for the Liberia Drug Enforcement Agency. Since his confirmation, Abraham Kromah has become more of a culprit in the fight against illicit drug trafficking and substance abuse than a fighter against drug trafficking. All Abraham Kromah has done over a couple of months is to allegedly befriend all the major importers of illicit drugs as a means of protecting them while they provide him with enough cash in return.
It’s reported that Mr. Kromah now has a suite at the Royal Grand Hotel where he runs his clandestine activities and is hardly seen at his official office in Fiamah, the headquarters of the
Liberia Drug Enforcement Agency. He has also moved to illegally dismiss officers to employ his relatives at top positions at the entity and has over five consultants who are all his relatives making lucrative salaries. One of those who are consulting at the entity and a close confidant of Abraham Kromah is his ex-ULIMO-K member Varfley Dolley.
According to the 2023 United States Department of State human rights report, Mr Dolley is mentioned as alleged warlord who was deported on June 21, 2023 by the U.S Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Removal Operations in Detroit, Michigan as a former executive of the United Liberation Movement of Liberia for Democracy (ULIMO -K), a rebel group who was accused by the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) of widespread human rights abuses, including rape, killings, torture, and sexual enslavement.
See link to the report (https://www.state.gov/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/528267_LIBERIA-2023-HUMAN-RIGHTS-R EPORT.pdf )
It can be recalled on February 21, 2024, Abraham Kromah in his showmanship arrested one George Ikpegehukwu alias “Original Japan” a notorious drug dealer in Monrovia and just a few days later “Original Japan “ was set free and the whereabouts of the drugs confiscated during the raid is still unknown. It’s being reported that drug kingpin “Original Japan” is a close buddy of Abraham Kromah and Kromah is now protecting him in exchange for cash generated from the sale of his drugs.
“Original Japan “ and the many renowned drug dealers in the country are allegedly being protected by Abraham Kromah in exchange for cash.
This was validated a few days ago when Abraham Kromah and his Deputy Director for Operations Mr. Fadiga went loggerheads with one another on why Abraham Kromah was appointing his relatives and confidants at various entry points in the country including the Robert International Airport and the Sea Port of Liberia only to facilitate the importation of illicit drugs and received kickbacks from those drug kingpin who are now his friends.
Deputy Director for Operations Hassan Fadiga alleged that there was a huge consignment of drugs arrested at the Airport and Abraham Kromah through his confidant at the Robert International Airport surreptitiously escaped with the consignment without processing it through the rightful protocol of the LDEA. This created a rift of a power struggle between Abraham Kromah and his Deputy for Operations Hassan Fadiga that has brought to light some hidden transactions conducted at the LDEA by Abraham Kromah.
Frustratingly, up to date, Abraham Kromah has yet to tell the public the whereabouts of the consignment of drugs his confidant escaped with from the RIA that led to his Deputy Director
For Operations Hassan Fadiga blowing an alarm. Honestly, Hassan Fadiga has a genuine and professional approach to combating illicit drug trafficking and substance abuse but all his efforts have been undermined by Abraham Kromah who sees him as a threat to his position than a colleague. This has led to the usurpation of functions by Abraham Kromah and appointing relative to positions who are conducting the operations arn of the entity while the Deputy Director for Operations remains a toothless bulldog in his role.
The current state of the country’s drug fight is at an emergency period as the spread among youths is rapidly growing and destroying the future of many youths in the country.
It can be recalled on July 17, 2023, former President George M. Weah signed into law the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act of 2023, commonly called the Drug Law as part of his commitment to make Liberia drug-free. The new law seeks to regulate, restrict, control, limit, or eradicate illegal export and importation as well as the flagrant use, abuse, and proliferation of narcotic substances within Liberia.
Little is being done by the current leadership of the country to effectively enforce the law and also create substantial drug prevention programs that will help reduce the rate of drug and substance abuse in the country. The LDEA Director General Abraham Kromah looks clueless and completely dumbfounded in what approach to take in the fight against illicit drug trafficking and substance Abuse. This may be a result of his compromise or the act of charlatanism.
One of the surest ways of combating illicit drug trafficking and substance abuse is by instituting preventive measures i.e. preventing drug use before it begins is the most surest cost-effective approach. This is achievable through awareness programs, drug treatment facilities and a stronger judiciary system. Sadly, all Abraham Kromah does is roam the streets for a publicity stunt, harassing peaceful citizens and using his men to brutalise journalists and ordinary citizens.
On March 11, 2024, a local talk show host in Gbarnga, Bong County Journalist Keselee Sumo was assaulted and left unconscious by two officers of the Liberia Drug Enforcement Agency.
The PUL later condemned the act and called for an investigation. See link (
https://cpj.org/2024/03/liberian-law-enforcement-officers-arrest-beat-journalist-kesselee-sumo/a mp/ ) Just a few days ago on April 26, 2024, a Liberian businessman and musician Mamudu Dabor was allegedly beaten and brutalized by Abraham Kromah at the Royal Grand Hotel where Kromah carried out his clandestine activities.
See link (https://frontpageafricaonline.com/news/liberian-musician-allegedly-brutalized-by-ldea-chief-claim s-his-vision-has-become-blur-calls-for-senates-intervention/ )
Constant harassment, torture and brutalization of peaceful citizens and journalists have become Abraham Kromah’s only achievement in fighting illicit drug trafficking and substance abuse. The charlatan has no sustainable policy approach to combating this national emergency.
This has validated our previous stance that he is not the best person to lead the fight against illicit drug trafficking and substance abuse, and we hope the compromised Liberian senate can see for themselves what they have done to the people who voted for them.
In less than ten days to the 100 days of the Unity Party government and everything under
“OBJECTIVE 4: Drugs and Substance Abuse” of the government 100 days, deliverables seem to be failing. Nude this objective, the government earmarked targets to be achieved in the first 100 days and that includes ; Make the issue of illicit drugs and substance abuse a national emergency.
- Enhance the existing program and create additional programs that remove disadvantaged youth and drug addicts off the streets.
- Rehabilitate, refurbish, and provide drugs to mental health hospitals and clinics.
- Ensure that rehabilitated youth receive income-generating skills and are reintegrated into society. Of the four indicators under the 100-day deliverables of Objective 4, only one has been partially achieved “declaring illicit drug and substance abuse as national emergency “.
- Though drugs have been declared a national emergency there is a lack of direction on the part of the LDEA of Abraham Kromah to effectively enforce the emergency nature of illicit drug and substance abuse. Abraham Kromah has allegedly become an accomplice in the proliferation of drugs rather than helping to eradicate it.
Under Indicator Two of Objective 4 of the 100-day deliverables. “Enhance the existing program and create additional programs that remove disadvantaged youth and drug addicts off the streets”, Abraham Kromah is clueless and due to this some existing programs have been abandoned and there have been no new programs introduced by Abraham Kromah to tackle illicit drug and substance abuse. There are even more disadvantaged youths on the street than before and the LDEA has instituted no program to take a single person off the street.
Indicator three under Objective 4 of the 100-day deliverables “Rehabilitate, refurbish, and provide drugs to mental health hospitals and clinics”, has become a complete failure. Neither the inter-ministerial drug committee has made any progress in achieving this nor the LDEA has even taken a step to attempt to refurbish or rehabilitate any mental health hospitals. Abraham Kromah is clueless and doesn’t have the understanding to even reach out to international donors like some NGOs that have been assisting the government. Perhaps, some of the NGOs have either declined to work with him due to his clueless and tyrannical nature of leadership.
Whatever the case it’s, we know Abraham Kromah isn’t the right man to lead the fight against illicit drug trafficking and substance abuse.
Indicator four of Objective 4 of the 100-day deliverable “ Ensure that rehabilitated youth receive income-generating skills and are reintegrated into society” is a colossal failure as no youth have even been rehabilitated lest to talk about reintegrating them into society.
Conclusion : The country is gradually losing a huge sum of our population to drugs and if care isn’t taken to dismiss inept people like Abraham Kromah, we may experience the worst as a result of drug and substance abuse. The LDEA needs a team that is professional, program-driven and a leader with a good moral credential who can open doors locally and internationally to assist inthe fight against drug and substance abuse.
Abraham Kromah can’t be the one because he has a bad human rights record, he has employed warlords at the entity whose understanding of the fight against drugs is to brutalize and harass peaceful citizens.
Like the old people got a parable that, “ Without a leader, the black ants are confused “. This is the case of the current LDEA. Abraham Kromah is clueless and has allegedly become a facilitator of drug abuse in the country which brings the entity to a complete state of being worthless and useless. I can feel the pain of Professionals like Deputy Director for Operations Hassan Fadiga and scores of men and women at the entity who want to genuinely serve their country but all of their efforts are being undermined by the greed of Abraham Kromah.
If the government is serious about making drugs and substance abuse a national emergency, they should bring on board civil society organizations with the technical capacity to introduce programs to tackle this menace and provide support for the effective monitoring of existing private and public rehabilitation centers around the country.
About the Author: Mohammed M. Bamba, Jr is a political activist and administrator who holds a Master of Public Administration in Local Government and Rural Development Administration from the Cuttington University School of Graduate and Professional Studies.
