By: Saidu Jalloh (Intern)
Juliet Kaikai, Acting Executive Director of Advocaid at the government weekly press conference at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs conference room reminded and urged the government that there is gap in the law that has no provision for harm reduction on drug abuse.
She said such act is to send information to the general public about government stringent measures taken to tackle the Kush crisis.
“The strategies outline by the Minister of Social Welfare and the reforms she is seeking to put in place has obviously shown that it is a people centered approach, but until those systems she outlined come into reality before I can talk about them,” Kaikai said.
She further that, we had the National Drug Control Act 2008 which had provided for the Minister of Internal Affairs to set up an assessment panel consisting of two lawyers, one medical practitioner and two people with extensive knowledge in psychological social problems that had to do with drug bust.
She said, “there is an ongoing case in court relating to illegal possession of drug and drug abuse of 52 people in which 16 has been convicted and will be sent to prison. ” Institution charged with the responsibility to enforce the law which is the police only to targeted areas where they are like to find and arrest people with less opportunity which will fall prey to the law and charged them to court and they are imprisoned for long time,” she added.
“We don’t have system in correctional center to rehabilitate offenders but with the National Drug Control Act of 2008 which provides for the Minister of Internal Affairs to set up Assessment Panel will be a good start to fight drug abuse instead of criminalizing them,” She stated.
She asserted that fighting the Kush menace required the provision of the law that deal with drug abuse i.e the gap in the law has no provision for harm reduction, until there is a legal framework on drug abuse before a permanent solution will be reach.
She added that she had never seen where a drug manufacturer or importer had been arrested or beaten like the consumer who many had violated their human rights by beating them. “Those who are supposed to act if they fail, the community will organize itself and act which is very bad in the eyes of the law,” she asserted.