Abuakwa North Municipal Assembly is currently confronted with the menace emanating from the activities of Nomadic Fulani Herdsmen and their cattle who destroy farms and farm produce belonging to farmers in the Municipality.
According to the Municipal Security Council (MUSEC) chaired by Honourable Alhaji Umar Babs Bodinga, Municipal Chief Executive, the situation has been an “annual ritual” to contend with as all attempts to flush the nomadic herdsmen and their cattle out have proven futile.
In view of this, the Abuakwa North Municipal Security Council organised a stakeholders engagement on the 4th of January, 2024 to pencil a roadmap to curb the situation.
The meeting which was held at the Assembly Hall at Akyem Kukuratumi in the Eastern Region of Ghana, saw the presence of Honourable Alhaji Umar Babs Bodinga, members of the MUSEC comprising Supt. Isaac Ampofo, Akyem Tafo District Police Commander, DSP Frederick Kpetigo, Municipal Crime Officer, Mr J K Amuzu, Municipal NIB Officer, Mr Stephen Osei-Wusu, Municipal NADMO Director, Mr Ansah Seth, Municipal Ambulance Service Officer, Mr Emil Tawiah Atsu, Municipal Coordinating Director, Odikros and a queen mother of the affected communities led by Baafuor Owusu Frempong, Akyem Kukuratumi Mmratohene, identified cattle owners and some aggrieved farmers groups from various communities in the Municipality.
After long hours of deliberations, the house established that, the Herders activities would be regularized as follows;
Cattle owners must seek proper approval from the traditional heads in consultations with the people, especially farmers of the communities they want to work in for onwards permit from the Municipal Assembly.
Traditional heads should’nt give their lands to more than one cattle owner.
All certified Heders will be given identification as in reflective jackets with an endorsement from the Municipal Assembly for supervision.
Cattle owners will be made to pay for damages caused to farms and farm produce in their respective communities they operate in.
Unidentified cattle will be forcibly flushed out of the Municipality when noticed.
Copies of documents of certified cattle owners will be forwarded to the custodians of the lands the Herders operate in (Traditional Council) for records keeping.
Honourable Alhaji Umar Babs Bodinga in his closing remarks, called for peaceful co-existence between the cattle owners, traditional leaders and the farmers for socio-economic development of the Municipality and the country as a whole.
He further concluded that, the Municipal Assembly is committed to ensuring the security and well being of all and urged the stakeholders to rally behind the Assembly to curb the Nomadic Fulani Herdsmen menace by abiding by the rules and regulations set out.
Source:Mybrytfmonline.com/Nana Kwasi Asare
