The Eastern Regional Minister Seth Kwame Acheampong who doubles as chairman of the Regional Security Council (REGSEC) on Tuesday, February 8, 2022, stormed Afram Plains over escalating tension between farmers and Fulani herdsmen.
The annual conflict between farmers and nomadic herdsmen every dry season has renewed this year. Previous clashes led to multiple casualties and the burning of houses.
However, efforts are underway to prevent such deadly clashes this year.
The Regional Minister accompanied by the Regional Police Commander DCOP Fosu Ackaah and the Nkawkaw Divisional Police Commander ACP Kofi Adu, the District Chief Executive for Afram Plains South Evans Kyei Ntiri, the first port of call was a meeting with Chief of Abetifi who doubles as Adontenhene for Kwahu Traditional Area Akyemfour Asiedu Agyemang III and some affected farmers.
Seth Kwame Acheampong hinted that the government is considering reactivating “operation cow-leg” to the area to de-escalate the tension by flushing out the cattle from the area should the herdsmen refuse to send their cattle to the ranch constructed by the government.
The entourage also had an engagement with the regent of Maamekrobo Nana Oduro Agyekum and some farmers and ended the tour with some chiefs and elders at Tease including Krontihene for Petiku Nana Adu Parko.
Addressing the media, the Eastern Regional Minister Seth Kwame Acheampong said “not too long ago the chiefs and the people of this area organized a press conference and spoke vehemently against the usual nomadic herder’s conflicts with crop farmers.
As a result, the regional Security Council held a meeting and engaged the parties to ensure there is peace in the neighborhood. We require peace in this area; we can do nothing but ensure that we have peace.’’
He added that. ‘’First and foremost the commander in chief, the president of the republic Nana Addo Dankwah Akufo Addo has sworn to hold this country together, and as his subordinate representing him in this region, it is incumbent upon us to ensure that that mandate is brought to bear.
We are here to deepen the conversation and ensure there is an order for every person to go about their duties… we are not against cattle rearing folks… that are economic activity, equally we will not sit unconcerned for them to destroy crop farmers produced, that is also illegal.
Seth Kwame Acheampong said, the government has invested to construct cattle ranch at Afram Plains hence the herdsmen in the area must take advantage to avert destroying crops of farmers.
”So we must ensure that there is real understanding; the necessary measures that are supposed to put in place have been spelled out. We are asking the farmers who are nomads and traveling with their cattle to be wary that the government has invested in the ranch at Wawase and Agbodeke which are fully completed as we speak, Forifori and Kyemfre are under construction and we want to use this medium to caution them that, please make use of those facilities, if you do not and operation cow-leg sits in and animals rearing go against the rules, they will be dealt with.
These are the rules and we want everybody to respect the rules hence the need to engage stakeholders for them to appreciate the position of the government and understand us. So we want all to appreciate and understand us not just to go ahead and enforce without engagement” He said.
The Chiefs and farmers appealed to the Minister to as a matter of urgency address the situation to avert clashes with the nomadic herdsmen.
Source: Mybrytnewsroom.com/Obed Ansah
