NATIONAL NEWS
MONROVIA – Nimba County Representative and Citizens Movement for Change Political Leader Musa Bility has called on President Joseph Nyuma Boakai to urgently seek international assistance in investigating Liberia’s widening drug-trafficking crisis, arguing that public confidence in the government-led investigation has significantly deteriorated.
By: Trokon Wrepue – trokon1992seokin@gmail.com
In a strongly worded statement, Representative Bility said the growing number of allegations, conflicting accounts and the emergence of new names have created what he described as a serious crisis of confidence in the government’s ability to independently and transparently handle the investigation.
“At this point, one conclusion is unavoidable: your government has lost control of the drug investigation,” Bility said in a direct appeal to President Boakai.
He argued that the government can no longer credibly conduct the investigation alone, citing concerns about the capacity, independence and public credibility of Liberia’s national security institutions.
Bility’s criticism follows recent allegations involving the leadership of the Liberia Drug Enforcement Agency (LDEA), which he said have further deepened public concerns surrounding the investigation.
According to the lawmaker, allowing the head of the LDEA to recuse himself is insufficient when serious allegations have been raised.
“Recusal is not accountability. Stepping aside is not prosecution,” Bility declared.
He called for the official at the center of the allegations to be suspended and subjected to an independent criminal investigation, with prosecution if sufficient evidence establishes criminal wrongdoing.
Bility said treating recusal as an adequate response could undermine public confidence and create the perception of institutional weakness or political interference.
The Citizens Movement for Change leader also questioned the government’s decision to seek international expertise in investigating the fire at the Capitol Building while relying primarily on domestic institutions to handle what he described as a far more complex narcotics crisis.
He asked President Boakai why international assistance was considered necessary to determine the cause of a fire at a national institution but not for a drug-trafficking investigation involving allegations against officials connected to several key security institutions.
“If international assistance was necessary to establish the cause of a fire at one of our national institutions, how can it not be necessary for a narcotics crisis of this magnitude?” Bility asked.
He argued that the scale and transnational nature of the drug investigation require expertise beyond Liberia’s domestic security system, particularly amid growing public distrust.
Bility is therefore urging President Boakai to formally request assistance from experienced international partners, specifically naming the United States, United Kingdom and European Union.
He said such partners possess significant experience in investigating transnational narcotics trafficking, organized crime and financial networks associated with illicit drug operations.
According to Bility, the issue has moved beyond determining the guilt or innocence of individual suspects and now represents a broader challenge to Liberia’s national security and the credibility of its institutions.
“Those accused deserve a credible process, and the Liberian people deserve the truth,” he said.
The Nimba County lawmaker warned that declining public confidence in the government and security institutions could have serious consequences for national stability.
He said when citizens lose confidence in institutions responsible for protecting them, rumors can replace facts, disorder can increase and the country could move toward greater instability.
Bility placed responsibility squarely on President Boakai, urging him to take decisive action to restore confidence in the investigation and the institutions of government.
He warned that refusing to seek international assistance, in his view, could amount to an abdication of the President’s constitutional responsibility to protect the Republic and provide leadership during a national crisis.
Bility called for the immediate securing of evidence, protection of witnesses and the establishment of a credible investigative process in which no individual is protected or targeted because of political influence, official position or personal connections.
“We will not accept a cover-up, selective justice or a politically managed investigation without credibility,” he said.
The opposition politician concluded by urging President Boakai to act swiftly to restore public confidence, defend the integrity of Liberia’s institutions and prevent the drug controversy from further destabilizing the country.
“Act now, or the Liberian people, through peaceful and lawful democratic action, will compel their government to act,” Bility warned.
