By Pewu Y. Sumo
MONROVIA — Gbarpolu County Senator Amara Konneh has cautiously welcomed President Joseph Nyuma Boakai’s nomination of retired Maj. Gen. Daniel Dee Ziankahn Jr. as Director General of the Liberia Drug Enforcement Agency (LDEA). The outspoken lawmaker warned, however, that deep-rooted cartel networks and systemic corruption continue to erode the nation’s security apparatus and cannot be eliminated simply by replacing top leadership.
In a statement released on his official Facebook page, Senator Konneh acknowledged Gen. Ziankahn’s extensive military credentials, citing his prior service as Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces of Liberia (AFL) and Minister of National Defense as key assets for an agency struggling with institutional instability. Konneh pledged his full support for Ziankahn’s upcoming confirmation process in the Liberian Senate.
“Given his extensive background in national security and military leadership, Gen. Ziankahn brings a strong operational record to an agency that urgently needs stability and direction,” Senator Konneh stated. “He can count on my full support in the Liberian Senate.”
Despite his endorsement of the nominee, Senator Konneh issued a scathing assessment of the wider drug enforcement climate in Liberia. He cautioned that appointing a decorated military figure—regardless of respect or background—cannot overshadow ongoing, high-profile illicit drug investigations involving senior security and law enforcement officials.
“Changing the leadership does not automatically fix the cancer eating away at our security system,” Konneh emphasized, arguing that true reform requires far more than an administrative reshuffle.
Calls for Independent Oversight and Systemic Overhaul
Addressing the challenges confronting the LDEA, Senator Konneh outlined three non-negotiable principles required to restore integrity to Liberia’s anti-narcotics efforts: ending self-policing, as institutions burdened by severe corruption allegations and drug cartel ties cannot logically investigate themselves; ensuring full public transparency through an open, credible, and independent inquiry into all high-ranking officials linked to international narcotics trafficking; and pursuing systemic cleaning to eradicate complicity across every tier of the agency rather than focusing solely on top-level replacements.
Konneh made explicit reference to ongoing scrutiny surrounding previous LDEA leadership figures involved in high-stakes illicit drug probes and record cocaine seizures in recent years, stressing that no official—irrespective of title, rank, or political standing—should remain immune from accountability.
Gen. Ziankahn’s nomination comes at a critical juncture as Liberia struggles against an escalating public health and national security crisis driven by illicit substance abuse, notably the proliferation of “Kush” and cross-border drug smuggling.
As the Senate prepares to convene confirmation hearings for the retired general, Konneh indicated that lawmakers will maintain a vigilant watch over the new leadership’s actions.
“We wish Gen. Ziankahn success in his Senate confirmation and in his tenure, but we will observe closely,” Konneh concluded. “The fight against illicit drugs in Liberia will only be taken seriously when no official—regardless of rank—is above true accountability.”
Late Monday, August 10, the Executive Mansion announced Gen. Ziankahn to lead the charge at Liberia’s anti-drug agency following the recusal of former Acting Officer-in-Charge, Deputy Commissioner of Police Fitzgerald T.M. Biago, amid reports that he allegedly solicited a bribe from a cartel member involved in an ongoing $317 million narcotics case.
Gen. Ziankahn’s nomination has received praise from anti-narcotics stakeholders across the country, with Sen. Konneh among those commending the decision by the Executive Mansion.
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