Destruction of Farmlands by Fulani Herdsmen: Aggrieved Farmers Threaten Bloodbath

Angry farmers at Osuwem in the Shai Osudoku district in the Greater Accra Region are calling on the security agencies across the country to intervene as nomadic herdsmen continue to take over their farm lands and destroy their produce.

The farmers have threatened a repetition of the disturbances in Kwahu East as if immediate steps are not taken to intervene in the ‘destructive activities’ of the herdsmen.

Nine people perished in the heat of clashes between farmers and nomadic herdsmen in the Kwahu East district late in 2017.

According to the farmers, the problem has persisted for more than four years now but anytime these issues of nomadic herdsmen are raised, the traditional leadership and the security agencies do not play the needed key role to minimize or curb the situation, adding that the situation is getting out of hand.

To the farmers, the issue is tantamount to the farmers becoming slaves in their own land.

“We have become slaves and beggars on our land because we are not even able to protest whenever we meet the herdsmen with their cattle on our farms. They go there at dawn to feed their animals on our farm produce and they are really armed with guns and other harmful objects and this has made it difficult for us to cultivate our farms,” they noted.

“Our farms are being destroyed resulting in the loss of produce such as okro, pepper, maize, cassava, mango, watermelon, among others,” the distraught farmers lamented.

The aggrieved farmers further blamed some of the  chiefs in the area for been behind what is happening to them as they (farmers) allegedly accused them for having their cattle with the herdsmen while others also extort money from the herdsmen  in the area anytime they raise issue concerning them.

Mr. Samuel Martey, one of the pained farmers described the situation to Rite News as alarming which needs urgent attention or else trigger something negative which they don’t want to happen.

He therefore urged the security agencies to act fast to put things in order.

The situation according to him is discouraging the youth in the area from going into agriculture as they don’t see it attractive enough due to what they are going through.

Asafoatse of the area, Nene Omesu Tekpertey confirmed the situation and also tasked the security agencies to lift up their games to improve security in the area to prevent any bad future occurrence in the area.

Meanwhile, the District Chief Executive of the Shai-Osudoku district, Hon Daniel Akuffo in his position as the head of security in the district said his outfit was not aware of the situation but will put drastic measures in place to make sure peace prevails in the area to protect life and property.

The Fulani issue is becoming a dark day and a threat to the agricultural sector as nine people were reported dead in Dwerebeafe, Aboyan and Mpeamu in the Kwahu East District following the clash between the nomadic herdsmen and some Kwahu farmers.

By: Austin Ofori Addo/ritefmonline.org/austinofori.addo@gmail.com