The Chairman of the Committee, Seth Akyeampong, said the initial research done by the Committee indicated that, the negative activities of nomadic herdsmen were widespread.

[contextly_sidebar id=”VB8RA1uP9gQMXieLogWjbYE5zIWDLPGo”]Thus, there was the need to study how other countries had dealt with the challenge.

Mr. Akyeampong said memos were already before the Majority Secretariat awaiting for approval for the fact-finding visits to the three countries, namely; Nigeria, Burkina Faso and Cote d’Ivoire.

Delivering his report on the fallout from tensions between farmers and nomadic herdsmen referred to the Committee by the Speaker of Parliament, the Mpraeso MP said, if approved, an eight-man team would travel for the mission.

“In consultation with leadership, it became evident that the Committee would have to step out of our boundaries and go to countries like Cote d’Ivoire, which is equally going through a similar problem, Burkina Faso, who are equally going through the same problem and Nigeria, who are also going through the same problem,” he said on the floor of Parliament.”

“We will bring the full complement of our observations and findings from there to add up to the initial work we did with the sector minister,” Mr. Akyeampong added.

The causes of tensions between farmers and nomadic herdsmen are seen to be essentially the same across the sub-region.

The disagreements are always over the use of farmland, grazing areas and water between herders and local farmers.

The herders have consistently clashed with farmers who accuse them of damaging their crops and failing to control their animals.

But the casualties are significantly higher in Nigeria, where more than 1, 200 people were killed in 2014 by different groups of Fulani herders, according to the Global Terrorism Index.

A mass burial for over 70 people was held in Nigeria’s central Benue State in January 2018.

Since the New Year,  more than 100 deaths have been reported in Benue and Taraba states, according to reports in Nigeria.

Fighting has been particularly heavy in Benue state, where 80 people have been killed and 80,000 displaced.

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By: Duke Mensah Opoku/citifmonline.com/Ghana

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Speaking at a press conference today [Friday], the President of the Suudu Baaba Fulani Association of Ghana, Osman Barry, complained of the “repeated atrocities perpetrated against Fulanis”.

[contextly_sidebar id=”DeV29pyC1689dT81eNyCLSPqchMm6We2″]He also called for compensation for Fulani victims of the operation, following what some have described as the harsh methods of the task-force, christened “Operation Cow Leg”.

The task-force is currently in Agogo, which has been a hotbed of tensions involving nomadic herdsmen, some of which are of Fulani extraction.

Osman Barry said a declaration of war on Fulanis is a violation of their fundamental human rights, hence their call.

“We wish to reiterate that Fulanis have been in the geographic entity for about 350 years. We therefore humbly appeal to his excellency, Nana Addo Danqua Akufo-Addo, to use his good office to bring the ongoing hostilities against the Fulanis, without any further delay.”

“We equally wish to appeal to his Excellency to ensure that adequate compensations are paid to the innocent victimized Fulani families who have lost their cattle during the said joint operations and other atrocities,” he said.

Fulani community laments abuse

Ahead of this press conference, Osman Barry had lamented that the Fulani Community in Ghana was being maltreated by the Ghanaian government and the larger populace following disagreements that have arisen between local farmers and nomadic herdsmen in parts of the country.

In Agogo, four security personnel including three military officers and a police officer, who had been deployed to the area to evict the herdsmen, were shot and injured by an unknown assailant following the renewed government efforts to address the long-standing conflict.

Following this, the government dispatched about 200 personnel drawn from the military and police services to the Asante Akyem North and Sekyere Afram Plains districts of the Ashanti Region to join the task-force.

There were reports of herdsmen fleeing the area amid complaints of the wanton killing of cattle by the task-force.

A cattle owner in Agogo, who spoke to Citi News said he lost over 70 of his cattle to the task-force, and he had to beg the government to give him more time to move all his livestock from the area.

Task-force ‘bound to fail’

An International relations analyst, Dr. Vladimir Antwi Danso, noted that Operation Cow leg was bound to fail because it was a mere knee-jerk approach to the problem.

Observers have consistently suggested a ranching policy to address problem once and for all but the government has constantly resorted to evicting the herdsmen from one location to the other.

Bill needed to regulate sector

The MP for Ledzokuku, Dr. Okoe Boye, called for a Bill that, when passed, will regulate the rearing of cattle in Ghana.

“We have to have a Bill which will regulate the sector and encourage more [people to get in]. When it is a regulated area, it will not be left for, [for want of a better term] only to Fulani. We will have a lot of farmers who can go into that sector,” he said.

In the meantime, the government has said a programme to restrict and ranch cattle will commence upon the completion of the operation in the Asante Akyem North and Sekyere Afram Plains districts, to provide a long-term solution to the decades-old tensions arising from the herding of cattle in these areas.

Suggestions are that, for most of the herdsmen, they have only been hired by people to take care of the cattle. However they are the ones often attacked when the cattle are reportedly destroying farms, whiles the real owners including politicians and other influential persons in society, are left off the hook.

In some of the clashes that have led to the loss of lives and properties, both the nomadic herdsmen and the locals have been affected., with the herdsmen alleging that in most cases, local farmers attack them without any provocation.

Farmers on the other hand accuse the herdsmen of starting most of the conflicts.

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By: Delali Adogla-Bessa/citifmonline.com/Ghana

The post Stop atrocities against us – Fulanis beg Nana Addo appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.

The long-standing dispute between nomadic herdsmen and farmers has reared its ugly head again especially in the Agogo area in the Ashanti Region, where a task-force of police and military personnel, is currently moving the herdsmen and their cattle from the area.

[contextly_sidebar id=”S0jKg3Hpwp94TnM68PCs3z9yl9BzfDJr”]The exercise known as Operation Cowleg, has seen several cattle killed by the task-force, whereas hundreds have been moved out of the town.

During the operation, three military officers and a police officer were allegedly wounded through gunshots. The suspicion is that, some of the herdsmen, who are unhappy with the operation, may have laid ambush to attack the security personnel.

Whilst the personnel are responding to treatment, the Chief of Defense Staff,  Lieutenant Gen. O. B Akwa, who visited the area, has warned that the government will not be intimidated, and will respond in equal measure to any attack from the herders.

He also stated that they will continue with the exercise to evict the herdsmen and their cattle from the Agogo area.

Speaking to Citi News ahead of a news conference later today [Friday], the Head of the Fulani Community in Ghana, Sheik Osman Barry,  described as inhumane the treatment meted out to some of their members.

He said they will use the occasion to to voice out their concerns about their lives in Ghana and also highlight their contribution to the development of the country.

“We have to give the history of the presence Fulanis in Ghana, our economic contributions and the sacrifices we’ve been making in order to ensure that development takes place and also the challenges that we are facing… Definitely, we feel that we are just being maltreated, sidelined and justice is not being served to us,” he said.

Suggestions are that, for most of the herdsmen, they have only been hired by people to take care of the cattle. However they are the ones often attacked when the cattle are reportedly destroying farms, whiles the real owners including politicians and other influential persons in society, are left off the hook.

In some of the clashes that have led to the loss of lives and properties, both the nomadic herdsmen and the locals have been affected., with the herdsmen alleging that in most cases, local farmers attack them without any provocation.

Farmers on the other hand accuse the herdsmen of starting most of the conflicts.

During the recent deployment of some 200 additional personnel to Agogo and Sekyere Afram Plains districts after the military and police officers were injured at Agogo, a statement signed by a Deputy Minister of Information, Curtis Perry Kwabia Okudzeto, said the joint security team has been tasked to “push back the herdsmen from new areas they have occupied, arrest perpetrators of recent acts of violence for prosecution, and augment the efforts of Operation Cow leg, an ongoing security operation aimed at dealing with the activities of herdsmen in the area.”

An International relations analyst, Dr. Vladimir Antwi Danso, has said Operation Cow leg, a task-force tasked by government to deal with nomadic herdsmen allegedly causing havoc in parts of the country, is bound to fail again.

According to him, those are just knee-jerk approaches to the issue which needs proper solution.

Ghana has failed to put in place a ranching policy, and has constantly resorted to this approach of evicting the herdsmen from one location to the other, which on reality yields no results.

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By: Ebenezer Afanyi Dadzie/Jonas Nyabor/citifmonline.com/Ghana

The post We’re being maltreated in Ghana – Fulani Community appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.

According to him, those are just knee-jerk approaches to the issue which needs proper solution.

“It is one of the kinetic ways of solving a problem using full force. But this is not the first time we have operation cow leg and I believe that is not the way of resolving it. Maybe in the interim, the specific Agogo situation yes, but what about all over Ghana?”

[contextly_sidebar id=”3sxjB9LVt3kC7UXGwz1Ztbin9cio51By”]Speaking on the Point Blank Segment on Eyewitness News, Dr. Antwi Danso explained that most of the herdsmen who are bearing the brunt of Operation Cow leg are usually not the rightful owners of the cattle hence such strategy must be re-looked.

“It is not the herdsmen who own the cattle. Medical officers, military officers, chiefs, politicians among others own the cattle so why are we blaming the herdsmen? The very people who own the cattle what have we done to them? I’m not saying what they are doing is good. If they rape women and kill people, that is criminal and we have to deal with them.”

Background

Following complaints of alleged atrocities being committed by nomadic herdsmen and the destruction of farms in Agogo in the Ashanti Region and parts of the Eastern Region, government re-launched Operation Cow leg which comprised police and military personnel tasked to flush out such people from those areas.

Recently, 200 additional personnel were deployed to Agogo and Sekyere Afram Plains districts after some military and police officers were shot at Agogo.

A statement signed by a Deputy Minister of Information, Curtis Perry Kwabia Okudzeto, said the joint security team has been tasked to “push back the herdsmen from new areas they have occupied, arrest perpetrators of recent acts of violence for prosecution, and augment the efforts of Operation Cow leg, an ongoing security operation aimed at dealing with the activities of herdsmen in the area.”

Ranching is the solution

But speaking on Point Blank on Tuesday, Dr. Danso said the only solution to the issue is to resort to what he referred to as ranching.

“It’s about time we started ranching system. The breeding of cattle in Ghana must have some modernity to it,” he said.

Antwi Danso explained that with ranching, cattle can be taken care of professionally without causing havoc to any farm or property, adding that “if we don’t do this the Fulani menace will continue forever and forever.”

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By: Godwin Akweiteh Allotey/citifmonline.com/Ghana
Follow @AlloteyGodwin

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This particular cattle owner said he has lost over 70 of his cattle after they were reportedly killed by members of the task force set up to flush out nomadic herdsmen in the Akyem North District.

[contextly_sidebar id=”M9Nl9rc5Pt9JdTCwGLdIpW8u6EGqsK4q”]”…they came [on Friday]. They killed about 79 of my animals. Now the remaining ones with the babies are the ones we are appealing to them for. They should just give us two days or three days to move them from Agogo land. This all we are begging the MP to do; to do look into it and let us move our cattle.”

The government dispatched about 200 personnel drawn from the military and police services to the Asante Akyem North and Sekyere Afram Plains districts of the Ashanti Region to join the task force after three military officers and a police officer on the task force were shot by an unknown assailant at Agogo.

A statement signed by a Deputy Minister of Information, Perry Okudzeto said the joint security team has been tasked to “push back the herdsmen from new areas they have occupied, arrest perpetrators of recent acts of violence for prosecution and augment the efforts of Operation Cowleg, an ongoing security operation aimed at dealing with the activities of herdsmen in the area.”

MP remaining resolute

The Member of Parliament for Asante Akyem North, Andy Appiah Kubi urged the team of Military and Police personnel deployed to Agogo not to be intimidated by the recent attack on some of their colleagues.

“Any attempt to intimidate the security forces of our countries is a call for war. Indeed they have made a declaration for war if they seek to undermine the security of the State… We will not run. We have men to defend the country.”

“You have sworn to defend the country. I believe you can do it. Do not allow anything to frustrate your attempts to defend yourselves and the country,” Mr. Appiah Kubi said to the security personnel.

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By: Hafiz Tijani/citifmonline.com/Ghana

The post Agogo: Cattle owner begs MP after over 70 cows killed appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.

Such a Bill could also potentially encourage more Ghanaians to get into cattle rearing, the MP said on The Big Issue.

[contextly_sidebar id=”oQy6h7ELVtbDaNp8u1QFf6vJs3WEeD5O”]His comments followed escalated tensions in the Asante Akyem North District after four security personnel, including three military officers and a police officer, who had been deployed to the area to evict nomadic herdsmen and their cattle, were shot by an unknown assailant at Agogo.

The government has since dispatched about 200 personnel drawn from the military and police services to the Asante Akyem North and Sekyere Afram Plains districts of the Ashanti Region to flush out nomadic herdsmen who are reportedly terrorizing residents of those areas.

But Dr. Okoe Boye warned that “if you displace them [the herdsmen and cattle], they will find themselves somewhere else.”

“We have to have a Bill which will regulate the sector and encourage more [people to get in]. When it is a regulated area, it will not be left for, [for want of a better term] only to Fulani. We will have a lot of farmers who can go into that sector.”

“It is a very lucrative sector and close to 80 percent of the cattle do not belong to the guys. So now you have Ghanaians who are giving their cattle to the so-called Fulani people to manage for them because they know it is a sector that can generate money,” he said.

On the Agogo matter, Dr. Okoe Boye said, “once a court has ruled, we have to take steps to enforce but beyond that, the Bill is critical.”

In the meantime, the government has said a programme to restrict and ranch cattle will commence upon the completion of the operation in the Asante Akyem North and Sekyere Afram Plains districts, to provide a long-term solution to the decades-old tensions arising from the herding of cattle in these areas.

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By: Delali Adogla-Bessa/citifmonline.com/Ghana

The post Bill needed to sanitise cattle rearing – MP appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.

This was disclosed by the Ashanti Regional Minister, Simon Osei Mensah, after he joined chiefs, religious leaders and other stakeholders to outline measures adopted to end the issue to residents of the Asante Akyem North District.

[contextly_sidebar id=”AJLgUhogQsT2GX3XzByWvPulxKm55CG0″]“In the next meeting of the Regional Security Council, we are going to look at the previous roadmap that my predecessors set up and then we will review the whole roadmap and those we think we cannot work with, we change them and add those which are implementable and ensure that we resolve this problem once and for all.”

He also assured the people of Agogo that “their safety was guaranteed” as they prepared for the farming season.

“…Any resistance, they should let us know. I don’t think we are going to tolerate any impunity henceforth, where we have people shooting at the security services. I don’t think we can accept that. We are going to do everything possible within the law to protect the people.”

He said the new roadmap was expected to include the registration of all the owners of the cattle and could involve the tagging of all the cattle.

“I don’t want a situation where we move the cattle from Asante Akyem North and they go to Kumawu and I go and fight them from Kumawu then the move to Nsuta then I will fight them from Nsuta. We have to fight the problem once and for all.

In the meantime, some herdsmen in the district have been fleeing the area following heightened tensions caused by the shooting of four security personnel.

One of the cattle owners who spoke to Citi News, said security personnel were shooting ruthlessly at their cattle and stealing the meat.

Four security personnel including three military officers and a police officer, who had been deployed to the area to evict the herdsmen, were shot by an unknown assailant following renewed government efforts to address the long-standing conflict between the nomadic herdsmen and local farmers.

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By: Hafiz Tijani/citifmonline.com/Ghana

The post A/R REGSEC to outline new plan to address Agogo tensions appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.

This follows the injuring of three soldiers and a police officer, after they were reportedly shot by a nomadic herdsman.

[contextly_sidebar id=”G2R6fntP3DrUJCQAWDPGqldgGzNPFeKP”]Speaking to the media after a DISEC meeting on Tuesday, the Asante Akyem North District Chief Executive, Francis Oti Boateng, said security personnel were now focused on the “total evacuation” of the about 45,000 cattle in the area.

When he assumed office in 2017, he gave the cattle owners the choice to confine the animals in a ranch or evacuate within five months.

But now, he feels more stringent directives are needed in light of the recent acts of violence.

“The first command was that, go and flush the animals from the land but they were not ordered to kill animals or also kill Fulanis. Now that the Fulanis are firing back, we have to restructure the first order so that now, they will go into full aggression and shoot anything on sight. That is the new order we are looking for,” he said.

Thus, the Asante Akyem North has notified the Ashanti Regional Security Council of its intentions and is waiting for approval.

“We cannot overly expose our military men onto such highly dangerous situations,” Mr. Oti Boateng stressed.

Before the recent tensions, cattle owners had claimed that the security task-force deliberately killed over 100 cattle and have sold out some to indigenes of the area.

The tensions over the cattle and herdsmen have existed for over two decades, with indigenes of Agogo and its environs accusing herdsmen of allowing their cattle to graze and destroy farmlands, which are their only source of livelihood.

Caution to farmers

The Member of Parliament for the area, Andy Appiah-Kubi espoused some confidence in the security personnel to evict the cattle from the area once and for all.

But for the time being, he also advised farmers to stop going to farms for the time being until the situation normalises.

“If they are confidently shooting at security personnel, then I don’t think that it is too safe to allow people to go on their normal duties so let us stabilise this situation and I am sure that within the next few days, the situation will normalise and then, we will provide the necessary security for them to go back to their normal duties,” Mr. Appiah-Kubi stated.

‘No confidence in police commander’

The two spoke after reports that the Asante Akyem North District Police Commander, ASP Samuel Azugu, had been transferred due to his failure to effectively address the conflict and claims of bias towards the herdsmen.

Commenting on the development Mr. Appiah Kubi, said the former Police Commander had lost the confidence of the people.

“I personally did not have confidence in him and I can assure you that not many people in this community have confidence in him… Having spoken to a number of people in this community, we are sure that we have not received the best of service from him and therefore we are not confident he can handle security in this community,” the MP remarked.

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By: Hafiz Tijani/citifmonline.com/Ghana

The post Agogo tensions: DISEC to intensify action against herdsmen appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.

This according to Osman Bin Ahmed will boost the socio-economic development of Agogo and its environs as well as end the age-long conflict between Fulani herdsmen and locals.

[contextly_sidebar id=”cWYMDceld96R1WzJRhIb9Hw8LmFnzfvC”]Farmers and residents within Agogo and adjoining communities have consistently accused the herdsmen of causing destructions to their farmlands and other properties.

Speaking in a Citi News interview, Chief Bin Ahmed emphasized the need for Government to focus on the positive aspects of cattle rearing in such communities to better lives of people living there.

He cited countries like Brazil who have benefited economically from cattle rearing and urged Ghana to adopt a similar approach.

“I am exploring a lot of opportunities on how we can turn the conflict in the area to benefit this country. Our dear President is talking about setting up factories and there is a lot that we can gain from the cattle if we take our time and study it. Everybody knows we can get milk. Secondly, there is meat. People will like to see Agogo corn beef, people will also want to see Agogo yoghurt and it will create a lot of employment,” Bin Ahmed said

He said the leadership of the Fulani community is liaising with the Ministry of Food and Agriculture (MoFA) to assist the herdsmen on how to grow fodder to feed their cattle.

He also appealed to benevolent organizations to help construct dams to provide a source of drinking water for the cattle.

The Fulani chief is optimistic such measures will go a long way to maintain sanity and order within Agogo and other farming communities.

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By: Hafiz Tijani/Citifmonline.com/Ghana

The post Fulani chief proposes beef and milk factory at Agogo appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.

This incident comes a day after the Eastern Regional Security Council REGSEC visited the affected communities to interact with the people, farmers, chiefs and the leadership of the Fulanis to dialogue and find lasting solutions to the reprisal attacks.

[contextly_sidebar id=”Bj199VGbJAoqKlUit3SziNaU4kBbIrX6″]The two, Fuseini Adama 32, and Sadibe Adama, 38, were allegedly subjected to beatings after being rounded up by some youth whilst returning from the bush to the town on their motorbike at Hweehwee.

But for the timely intervention of the police patrol team which has been deployed there from the Police headquarters last week, the situation would have gotten out of hands.

Recent reprisal attacks between the nomadic herdsmen and some farmers in the Kwahu East District, which led to the death of 8 people and several others fleeing their homes and work places, has heightened tension in the area, forcing the deployment of 85 police personnel to ensure law and order.

The Eastern Regional Police Public Relations Officer, ASP Ebenezer Tetteh, who confirmed the latest incident to Citi News, said the Police operational team went through a torrid time saving the victims.

“At about 17:30 hours, the Police Patrol team returning from Sempoa area reported that, on reaching Hweehwee township, they encountered a rampaging youth numbering about 300 who were attempting to lynch two Fulani men, who were on motorbike returning from Sempoa heading towards Nkawkaw.”

“The patrol team in their bid to save the two Fulani men had it very difficult so two other teams who were on standby upon receiving the information quickly proceeded to the scene to rescue the victims.”

Asp Ebenezer Tetteh explained how the angry mob resisted the Police from saving the situation.

“The operation teams had it very hectic controlling the situation as the rampaging youth rather vented their anger on the Police and poured an itching substance “apia” on both their bodies and the vehicles.”

The District Chief Executive and the Assembly member of the area, were contacted on phone to talk to the opinion leaders in the town to calm the situation.”

Asp Ebenezer Tetteh disclosed that, the victims have been issued with Police medical forms to go to the hospital.

“The victims who were molested were released to seek medical attention at Holy Family Hospital at Nkawkaw, and have been asked to report back to the station to assist with further investigations.”

ASP Ebenezer Tetteh pleaded with the general public not to take the law into their own hands.

“I will use this medium to appeal to the general public and local residents not to take the laws into the hands. The police are here to help; and we plead that in situations like this, they should call us and we will come to take over.”
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By: Neil Nii Amatey Kanarku/citifmonline.com/Ghana

The post 2 nomadic herdsmen escape lynching in E/Region appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.