Amidst Drug Saga… Musa Tarawally Speaks Tough Against Authorities

A video making the rounds on social media has captured Alhaji Musa Tarawally, a flagbearer aspirant of the ruling Sierra Leone People’s Party (SLPP), strongly criticizing key government officials over what he described as their failure to combat the country’s growing drug crisis.

In the viral video, Hon. Tarawally lamented that Sierra Leone is going through one of its most difficult periods due to the widespread use of kush, tramadol, and other dangerous substances. He said these drugs are destroying the nation’s youth, forcing many university students to abandon their studies for life in the ghettos, and tearing apart families and marriages.

He argued that the drug crisis is not a pandemic but a failure of law enforcement and governance. According to him, the Ministry of Internal Affairs, which oversees the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency and the Transnational Organized Crime Unit, has failed to control the inflow of illegal drugs. He added that the Office of the Vice President, which supervises the Ministry, has equally failed in its responsibility.

“The President, in his wisdom, appointed people into those offices and gave them the responsibility to act. Unfortunately, the Vice President has failed woefully in that regard,” he stated.

Tarawally further accused the Ministry of Health of neglecting its oversight duties through the Pharmacy Board, which regulates the importation and distribution of drugs. He said weak supervision has allowed uncontrolled substances to flood the market without proper prescription. He therefore urged President Bio to take decisive action that will restore hope to parents and help end the kush menace ravaging communities across Sierra Leone.

Across the country, the effects of kush and tramadol addiction are devastating. Reports from health and security authorities reveal that thousands of young men, especially in urban centers like Freetown, Bo, and Makeni, have become addicted to the synthetic drug. Many users suffer from severe mental health issues, violent behavior, and physical deterioration. According to the Sierra Leone Psychiatric Teaching Hospital, drug related admissions have risen sharply over the past two years. Families are breaking apart, unemployment is rising, and crime rates are increasing, creating a deep social and economic crisis.

Alhaji Musa Tarawally, once a key figure in the All People’s Congress (APC), previously served as Minister of Internal Affairs and Minister of Lands. Known for his strong personality and political resilience, he later joined the ruling SLPP where he now seeks to lead the party as flagbearer. His recent remarks reflect his longstanding interest in governance and security issues, especially during his tenure overseeing internal affairs and law enforcement agencies.

Sierra Leone’s struggle with kush comes after a long series of national challenges, from the brutal civil war (1991–2002) that left deep scars on the population, to the Ebola outbreak in 2014–2016 that killed thousands, followed by the 2017 mudslide disaster, and then the COVID-19 pandemic. Each crisis tested the nation’s resilience, but the current drug abuse epidemic threatens its social fabric from within. As the country faces this new wave of destruction, many citizens are calling for urgent and coordinated government action to prevent another lost generation.

The recent spare of drug abuse has forced the government to pay attention to rehabilitation centers in the country.