By Josephine Sesay
Our nation is sinking into a nightmare. Communities are overwhelmed by a crisis that leaves our streets littered with broken bodies and shattered dreams. Once full of life and promise, our youths now wander aimlessly like shadows enslaved by the deadly grip of drugs. It is heartbreaking and terrifying to witness. Children who should be in school or chasing their ambitions now scavenge for food alongside stray dogs, their bodies ravaged by sores, their futures slipping away before our eyes.
This devastation is not accidental. It is the product of apathy, negligence, and failure to act. When concerned community members stepped up organizing grassroots policing to rescue addicts, chase dealers, and curb the spread of kush and tramadol they were not supported but condemned. Instead of encouragement, they were accused of discrimination, their courage mocked on social media.
The government’s so-called solution came in the form of a new agency, led by Brigadier General Professor Foday Sahr, to fight drug trafficking. Yet, since its creation, the situation has worsened. Our youths have become “the living dead,” consuming poison that strips them of dignity, potential, and humanity. Bureaucracy and indifference have shackled the very institutions meant to protect them.
This is no longer just a social problem it is a national emergency. Families are being torn apart, parents are forced to watch their children waste away, and entire communities are crumbling under despair. Imagine the agony of a mother who carried her child for nine months, nurtured them with hope, only to lose them to the streets and drugs. This is a tragedy no parent should endure.
And yet, when government officials gathered at Bintumani Hotel on August 12th to mark International Youth Day, what was offered to our young people, Token T-shirts, caps, snacks, and empty promises of we will, but how long must our youths wait?
To the traffickers and dealers how do you sleep at night? How do you justify building wealth on the suffering of children? Your greed has turned you into executioners of this nation’s future. Every note of your profit is stained with the tears of grieving families.
And to our leaders wake up, this is not a political issue. These young people are not your enemies; they are the future of Sierra Leone. Every day you delay, you betray them. Act now. Empower communities already fighting on the frontlines, give them resources, and most importantly, listen to them.
If nothing changes, we risk losing not only a generation, but the very foundation of our nation. The time for empty speeches is over. The time for bold, decisive action is now.
Copyright –Published in Expo Times News on Monday,25th August 2025 (ExpoTimes News – Expo Media Group (expomediasl.com)
