By Ishmael Mac Kargbo PC 12981 CRD PHQ
Having seen footages of a recent sensitisation campaign conducted in selected communities within Rokel on both traditional (TV Specifically) and social media, the Head Man (HM) of Rokel Community Mr. Thaimu Kamara (Orthaim) was left in awe.
This prompted him to approach the Deputy Head of CRD Supt. Samuel S Conteh and pleaded with him to make available the CRD+LPPB sensitisation team to make such moves in other communities within Rokel so that they also can benefit from the message.
The leadership of CRD PHQ being a proactive one designated Easter Monday for CROs of Freetown East; and their personnel, LPPB members and the CRD- PHQ team to converge for second rounds of sensitisation campaign in different communities across Rokel.
The sensitisation started off at a community call Gbongbo, the CRO of Calaba Town Mr. MBT sent greetings to the people on behalf of the team.
He went on to introduced the topic to them which is a Sensitisation about Kush. He made a stern warning to the people not to involve in kush trade or the consumption of it. ‘If we (police) found anyone selling kush we’ll arrest the person and destroy the place that is being used to sell the kush’, he asserted, and there was an applause from the people, and they started shouting “No More Kush”.
Supt. Conteh while addressing the people firstly requested for the presence of some stakeholders of the Gbongbo community. He highlighted the negative effects of kush and encouraged the women to take the lead in the fight.
He insinuates that none of the women would want to see their children being arrested by the police for kush. In that vein, he pleads with them to name anyone they suspect of dealing in kush either to the community stakeholders or the Police.
One Jacob was brought forward by the people alleging that his place is where the Kush addict usually trooped to smoke the hazardous substance.
When asked to make a statement Jacob said he is no longer engage in the business. He said, he’s also begging the community to help him drives the addicts from coming close to his house to smoke; a place he said is a state’s land.
One of the stakeholders of Gbongbo Community Mr. Alimamy Kamara thanks the sensitisation team for making a stop at his community and passing such vital message. He promises to help the police in tackling Kush in his community.
The sensitisation team then made another stop at John Thorpe Community, here one of the representatives from the LPPB Mr Melbourne Greene admonished the parents not to protect their children that are involved in Kush deals and smoking; they should expose them.
He craves on the indulgence of the people to please join the fight against Kush. He affirmed that anyone caught dealing, or protecting anyone dealing with Kush will be prosecuted and punished.
Mr. Wai (Chairman LPPB East) educates the people about the mandate the police have which is as a result of a meeting in parliament in which the IGP Mr. Williams Fayia Sellu was summoned to explain steps his institution has taken to stop the flow of Kush in the neighbourhood. Having motivated the crowd with his message everyone started shouting “Kush Must Go”.
HM Thaimu Kamara makes a passionate speech through a local language (Themne) to the people tailored towards sensitising them on the harmfulness of the drugs as well as the legal implications if you’re caught.
Other community stakeholders also made statements all geared towards galvanising support for the fight against Kush. At John Thorpe Community, the prolific Leeman unleashed an epic performance with his latest song on the Kush fight titles “Lef Kush”.
The people were quick to resonate with the song as they started singing along the artiste. The team later visited Limba Corner Community were also the message about Kush was disseminated to the people. Their stakeholders and youths were happy to see the sensitisation team in their community.
Several statements were made all aims at garnering support from the community in the fight. After exhausting several communities within Rokel, the team decided to make the final stop at the Rokel Football Field.
Here the team was shown a spot where the addicts used to gather and smoke. Even when the sensitisation team arrived, few of them were around, but the fled before they could be reached.
