Ghana Districts: A repository of all Local Assemblies in Ghana

SECURITY

MAMPONG: Fulani menace; a threat to agriculture now and the future

The nefarious activities of some Fulani herdsmen continue to erode the progress and gains we strive to make as a country in the area of Agriculture.

Date Created : 5/15/2018 4:59:20 AM : Story Author : Emmanuel Boakye Ansah/Ghanadistricts.com

Their activities do not only affect crop yields as their cattle trample on crops and destroys farms, they also threaten farmers with deaths and brag about their affiliations with some top politicians, security chiefs and traditional leaders.

According to some farmers in Adidwan in the Mampong Municipal, the situation is appalling as many of them do not feel safe to visit their farms these days because of the confrontations they engage in with the Fulani herdsmen on daily basis.

This was revealed during a farmer’s forum organized by the Information Services Department in selected Districts and Municipals in the Ashanti Region as part of public sensitization and interaction on the Agriculture Census currently taking place across the length and breadth of the country.

“Our lives are threatened daily on our own farms and now we are scared to visit our farms and if government sits unconcern soon there will be shortage of food as we won’t risk our lives like that.” One farmer noted.

Kwasi Obour, a farmer whose 30 acres Cocoa farm in Kokobi was allegedly set ablaze by some Fulani herdsmen lamented about the unbearable hardship that situation had left him in and how he had vowed to protect himself if the situation continued without solution.

Kwasi Obour

Similar stories were shared by some farmers in Ejura when the Information Services Department team headed by Mr Charles Wereko, Director Finance and Administration, Information Services Department visited them to access the impact of the publicity on the Agric Census public education.

They noted with disgust how the cattle were moved to graze on people’s farms especially maize farms with impunity and regretted that shortage of food could hit the country if the impasse between the farmers and Fulani herdsmen was not resolved.

The Director, Finance and Administration after listening to their concerns assured them of government’s effort at solving the Fulani issue .He noted that the primary responsibility of every government was to ensure that lives and properties were protected.

Mr Charles Wereko appealed to the farmers not to take the laws into their hands but rather report any unlawful or criminal activities and actions of any individual or group of persons to the law enforcing bodies in the country.

Mr. Wereko with hand raised being flanked by Nana Akrasi (in smock) and a service personnel in Ejura with farmers.

The Information Services Department boss further encouraged the farmers to form small farmer group associations so that they could have a united front which would make them very visible and their grievances too would be very much attended to unlike when they work in isolation or individually.

He assured them that their challenges would be forwarded to the appropriate offices when he gets to Accra and appealed to them to actively engage in the ongoing Agric Census.

Mr Charles Wereko was accompanied by the Ashanti Regional Director of Information Services Department,Nana Yaw Akrasi Sarpong and Mr Tony Ankrah ,Senior Journalist at the regional office of Information Services Department.