The arrest of Quita Koso Dolo at Roberts International Airport on July 12, 2025, carrying 3.355 kilograms of cocaine worth over $180,000, represents more than just another drug bust. It has become a catalyst for something unprecedented in Liberia’s fight against narcotics: a powerful, women-led movement demanding action where promises have fallen short.
The Weight of Betrayal
Former Vice President Jewel Howard Taylor’s words cut to the heart of the matter: “When the hands that should cradle our children instead push poison into their mouths, we have failed as a society.” This is not hyperbole—it is a moral accounting of what happens when those traditionally seen as society’s nurturers become complicit in its destruction.
The involvement of women in drug trafficking represents a particularly painful betrayal of cultural expectations and moral obligations. In Liberian society, women have historically been the backbone of community resilience, the voices that spoke truth to power, and the hands that rebuilt a nation torn apart by war. To see some of these same hands now trafficking in substances that destroy young lives is a wound that goes beyond criminal statistics—it strikes at the very soul of what it means to be Liberian.
Beyond Rhetoric: The Gap Between Promise and Performance
President Joseph Boakai’s declaration of drug abuse as a national emergency during his 2024 inaugural address was a moment of hope for many Liberians. The formation of multi-sectoral committees, symbolic drug tests by top officials, and bold campaign promises suggested a government ready to match the urgency of its rhetoric with concrete action.
Yet more than a year later, the gap between promise and performance has become a chasm of frustration. Committees have been formed, but where are the robust rehabilitation programs? Speeches have been made, but where are the strengthened border controls? Emergency declarations have been issued, but where are the measurable interventions that should follow?
The women planning to march on August 7, 2025, are not protesting against good intentions—they are demanding that those intentions be translated into the kind of sustained, practical action that saves lives and communities.
The Moral Imperative
Organizations like WONGOSOL understand what is at stake: not just public health, but the very future of Liberian society. When they invoke “Mama Liberia crying” for her children being destroyed by drugs, they tap into something deeper than policy discussions—they appeal to our shared humanity and collective responsibility.
The statistics are sobering: substances like Kush, cocaine, and tramadol are not just recreational problems but existential threats to an entire generation. The human cost extends beyond individual addiction to encompass broken families, compromised communities, and a nation’s diminished potential.
Learning from Leadership
Child rights advocate Ne-suah Beyan-Livingstone’s call for an “Enough is Enough Movement” recognizes a crucial truth: this crisis requires moral leadership from civil society when institutional leadership falls short. Her emphasis on compassion over condemnation, rehabilitation over punishment, and unity over division provides a roadmap for sustained action.
Her warning against shaming affected individuals on social media is particularly important. In our righteous anger about the drug crisis, we must not lose sight of our obligation to protect the dignity of those caught in its web—especially children who bear no responsibility for their circumstances.
A Constitutional Obligation
WONGOSOL’s invocation of Article 6 of Liberia’s Constitution—which guarantees equal access to opportunities for all citizens—should shame us into action. How can we speak of equal opportunities when an entire generation is being systematically destroyed by addiction? How can we claim constitutional compliance when our youth are more likely to encounter drug dealers than drug counselors?
The organization’s reference to international treaties and regional agreements reminds us that this is not just a domestic failure but a betrayal of solemn commitments made to the global community.
The Path Forward
The Controlled Drug and Substance Act of 2023 provides legal framework, but laws without enforcement are merely paper barriers to determined criminals. The women mobilizing for August 7 understand that change requires more than legislation—it demands sustained political will, adequate funding, and the kind of moral urgency that transforms communities.
What we need now is not more committees or symbolic gestures, but:
– Robust rehabilitation programs that treat addiction as a health issue, not just a criminal one
– Strengthened border security that actually prevents drugs from entering the country
– Community-based prevention programs that reach young people before they become victims
– Accountability mechanisms that ensure government promises translate into measurable results
