By Socrates Smythe Saywon
When Eddie D. Jarwolo, the Executive Director of Naytome, raised alarm on August 15, 2025, about the alleged involvement of government officials in the illegal drugs trade, it did not sound like another passing commentary. Instead, it touched the very nerve of Liberia’s fragile state. His assertion was not drawn from rumor mills or faceless “sources,” but from the Deputy Director of the Liberia Drug Enforcement Agency (LDEA), Gwee Pokpah. If a senior security officer, speaking on record, has openly accused officials of being entangled in the drug trade, then Liberia is facing nothing less than a national emergency.
What makes this issue alarming is not only the seriousness of the allegations but the context in which they are made. Liberia has, in recent years, become a major transit hub for narcotics moving from Latin America into West Africa and beyond. Communities across Monrovia and rural counties are already grappling with the destructive rise of “kush” and other synthetic drugs. Young people are paying the highest price, their futures consumed in street corners and ghettos, while the political class debates whether the crisis even merits serious policy response.
Jarwolo rightly connects the dots between political financing and the drug economy. Liberia’s democracy has long been corrupted by shadowy money sources, whether looted state resources, questionable foreign donations, or in this case, suspected narco-financing. His reminder that traffickers often bankroll campaigns is chilling but familiar. History across Latin America and West Africa shows that when drug money enters politics, governments themselves become accomplices. If traffickers helped put officials into office, why would those same officials suddenly turn against their benefactors? It is no wonder the LDEA deputy director described the government’s posture as weak.
The critical question now is whether President Joseph Boakai has the courage, capacity, and independence to act. At 82, Boakai has built a reputation for honesty and integrity. But integrity alone cannot dismantle entrenched criminal networks. Silence or inaction in the face of these allegations will erode his credibility and cement public suspicion that his government is compromised. Worse still, it would embolden the cartels and dealers already feasting on Liberia’s porous borders and weak institutions.
Jarwolo’s call for the military to join the fight against drugs may sound extreme, but it underscores the gravity of the threat. When drug cartels infiltrate state institutions, ordinary law enforcement is often powerless. The military, if insulated from political influence, could provide the muscle to dismantle heavily protected operations. Yet even this solution carries risks. The Armed Forces of Liberia, scarred by its history of politicization, must not be dragged into a “war on drugs” that could be used as cover for political witch-hunts. Any military involvement must therefore be under strict civilian oversight and with clearly defined rules of engagement.
This moment demands more than hashtags like #InvestigateEverything and #Accountability. It demands action. President Boakai must immediately address the nation, clarify the allegations, and empower an independent panel, possibly with international oversight, to probe the LDEA deputy director’s claims. Sweeping the matter under the rug would only deepen public distrust and invite chaos.
Liberia’s fight against drugs is not just about arresting dealers; it is about severing the deadly marriage between crime and politics. If drug traffickers are financing campaigns, if government officials are facilitating the trade, and if law enforcement officers are compromised, then Liberia is not merely battling a health and social crisis, it is teetering on state capture.
Jarwolo’s statement should be treated not as an activist’s rant but as a wake-up call. The Boakai administration has a narrow window to prove that it is not beholden to narco-financiers. If it fails, history will judge this government not by its lofty speeches on reform, but by how it allowed Liberia’s future to be mortgaged to the drug lords.
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