A Nation on the Brink: Why President Joseph Nyuma Boakai Sr. Should Appoint a New LDEA Director General Now!

President Joseph Nyumah Boakai, the Liberian people chose a leader like you who would make firm and strategic decisions, especially in times of national crisis like the fight against drugs in the country.

The vulnerability of systems is evident every day, and your delay in appointing a new head for the Liberia Drug Enforcement Agency (LDEA) shows that we are losing this battle against the drug cartels.

The current situation at the LDEA, under another Officer-in-Charge (OIC), compromises our national security. A caretaker is supposed to maintain institutional structure, command and control methods to deliver on the agency’s statutory responsibilities until a permanent Director General of the agency is appointed.

However, the current OIC has already started making major changes that are not only “unauthorized” under the LDEA Act, but also undermine the fight against drugs.

This started with the concerning removal of skilled individuals. A key example is Aaron Karzon, a man known for his effective anti-drug work. As the former Regional Commander for Bomi, Gbarpolu, and Cape Mount under the LDEA Director General, Col. A. B. Kromah, Mr. Karzon made one of the most drug arrests in 2024, proving his dedication to combating the drug cartel.

His effectiveness continued under the former LDEA boss, Anthony Suah, who promoted him from being a Regional Commander to U-711 also known as Assistant Director for Manpower.

In this role, Mr. Karzon led the dismantling of major drug cartels in Monrovia, alongside some of the dedicated men and women of the LDEA. This resulted in several drug raids and arrests along with large quantities of drugs and millions of Liberian dollars. One recent incident is the recent arrest of some notorious drug dealers (all females), an operation that many Liberians celebrated.

Mr. Karzon’s experience goes beyond drug enforcement. As the former Chief of the Emergency Response Unit (ERU)/Anti-Armed Robbery Unit at the LNP, he played a key role in combating armed robbery incidents in the country, making it safer for citizens to move around at night.

This type of individual CANNOT be thrown away immediately UNLESS he is engaged in drug-related activities with the cartel and pretending to be innocent. If there’s any trace of his assertion with the drug cartel and facts were established by the OIC, he should not only be thrown out of the agency, but prosecuted as a drug dealer.

It’s disgusting that someone with such exceptional background in security and curbing armed robbery incidents from his days at the LNP and now a drug cartel destroyer, will be immediately thrown outside of the agency by the OIC.

Reason provided by the OIC that Mr. Karzon is not an employee of the LDEA, because he was not on the LDEA Payroll, is crazy and lacks any form of reasoning.

This is not only disturbing, but it speaks volumes of how the cartel is #regrouping to destroy our children. President Boakai must sanction the unethical action of the OIC at the LDEA.

The LDEA Act grants authority to the Director General of the agency to appoint U-711/Assistant Director for Manpower to fight drugs in the country. As such, it should be the responsibility of the agency’s head to place him on payroll.

The agency’s failure to have placed him on payroll and other action agents does not automatically render him incompetent, ineffective and not in the employed of the LDEA.

He’s a victim of institutional debility to have placed him and other action agents on the LDEA Payroll. Interestingly, there are others who are not on LDEA Payroll, but were never removed from their positions by the OIC. Why?

It’s imperative to ALSO draw the attention of the President to a troubling incident that occurred a few months ago at the Roberts International Airport (RIA).

The LDEA agents, who showed bravery and outstanding diligence that led to the arrest of a woman named “Quita” with a large quantity of drugs were discouraged from instituting similar brevaery by powerful individuals within our security sector. Instead of recognising them as heroes for bursting the drug cartel and making such unprecedented arrest of Quita, the agents were quickly replaced at the RIA.

Is this how we reward bravery? We urge you, Mr. President, to investigate this situation, reverse their replacements, and instruct the OIC to stop all unauthorized changes at the LDEA.

The system continues to be vulnerable, and every day without an appointment and confirmed Director General of the LDEA, the drug traffickers will continue to import more drugs in the country. Act NOW Mr. President!!!!