VIEWPOINT
The Poisoned Hands of Power, Sierra Leone’s Shame
By Idriss Kai-Samba Suvula
The Poisoned Hands of Power, Sierra Leone’s Shame
Sierra Leone stands at a dangerous crossroads. What was once a proud nation rebuilding from war and hardship is now whispered across borders for all the wrong reasons, as a new hub for narcotics and drug trafficking. From our diplomatic passports to our seaports, from the airport terminals to the border checkpoints, the stench of collusion between state power and criminal enterprise has become impossible to hide.
When those entrusted with protecting the nation’s dignity begin to trade it for dirty money, the soul of the country is at risk. A government that allows traffickers to operate under the cover of state privilege has already betrayed its people. For every gram that slips through our borders, a piece of Sierra Leone’s integrity is lost.
No nation can claim to be sovereign when its ports become safe passage for poison. No leader can claim patriotism while our diplomatic passports are turned into golden tickets for international drug networks. When corruption and complicity reach the very gates of governance, the people are left defenseless, betrayed by the very institutions meant to protect them.
The regime may pretend to be ignorant, but the world is watching. The thorough scrutiny Sierra Leoneans face at foreign airports today is not born of prejudice, it is the harvest of state failure. A leadership that protects traffickers instead of the truth cannot escape global judgment.
History is clear: regimes built on corruption and drug money crumble under their own deceit. The illusion of power is fleeting when it rests on the suffering of the people. For how long can a government pretend to fight crime while secretly fueling it? How long can it boast of progress when our borders have become the epicenter of international criminal networks?
A nation that once inspired hope now risks being branded as a narco-state. The shame is not in our people, but in those who sold our sovereignty for profit. Sierra Leone deserves better than to be reduced to a playground for traffickers and a refuge for the corrupt.
It is time to reclaim our dignity. To expose those who have turned public office into private enterprise. To restore integrity to the green, white, and blue. Because no flag flies high when its hands are stained with the dust of narcotics.
Let those in power remember: the people’s silence is not their consent, it is the calm before accountability.