The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Ahmed Bary Foundation, Mr. Ahmed Hamid Bary has cautioned all the nomadic headsmen in the country to live in peace and harmony with one another in their various communities.
This, according to him will help strengthen the relationship between farmers and residents in the parts of the Eastern and Ashanti Fulani herdsmen which will eventually improve development.
He gave this advice in Damango, during the enstoolment of their new chief Alhaji Halidu Mohmudu Jallo which was attended by Fulani across the country. Ahmed Bary further said the conflicts over natural resources between pastoralists and indigenous farming communities in Agogo, and some parts of the Eastern Region needed urgent attention to check the situation.
He argued that the conflicts are shaped by three different interests: farmers, herders and chiefs. “The chiefs are interested in gaining revenues from land and natural resources by releasing them to migrants, including herders, this creates pressures on local resources and affects farmers ‘management of fallow land” he narrated
“This results in herders encroaching into farming areas and farmers moving into herding areas, the pressure on resources and encroachment of cattle onto farm lands, where they destroy crops, results in increasing tensions between herders and farmers which breaks out into violent confrontations but we are one people in one nation and we need peace” he added.
The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Ahmed Bary Foundation revealed that his outfit interviewed to solicit information from farmers, pastoralists, chiefs, assembly members and a veterinary officer and have been proven that there are a lot of things that must be considered to bring an end to and also said the media exaggerating reports which also fueled the conflict
Mr. Ahmed Hamid Bary urged them to send their children to school especially, the girl child and stop giving them to men for marriage at their early stage. “Those of you who are fond of taking hard drugs must try avoiding it, when you realize that your cows are in large quantity to the extent that controlling them becomes difficult for you, just sell some and invest that money into another business rather than allowing the animals to destroy people’s farms and food crops”. He stressed.
According to him, they should form committee among themselves to solve problems between them and farmers in other to peace most especially as we are in a farming season.
By: Austin Addo/austineofori.addo@gmail.org/ritefmonline.org
