Any attempt to forcibly stop nomadic herders from entering the Ashanti regional town of Ejura during the upcoming dry season will have disastrous effects on farmers.
That is according to leaders of the Fulani community, who say plans by the security authorities to stop the movement of cattle that are approaching the outskirts of Ejura will cause them to disperse, inflicting more damage.
This comes after the Ejura Traditional Council declared a ban on the activities of nomadic herdsmen to protect farms.
General Secretary of the Tabital Pulaaku International, Yakubu Musah Barry, suggests the traditional authorities must soften their stance on the matter.
“Upon careful assessment by the leadership of the Fulanis, we see the timing as inappropriate. The herdsmen are close to the community and sending them back will be a security threat”, he emphasised.
Mr. Barry further explained, “If you say you will disrupt the animals and stop them, they will spread. We are pleading with the traditional authority to soften their stance. After this we can draw a roadmap to ensure the animals come in safely next year”.
The Ejura Traditional Council has taken a decision to flush out nomadic herdsmen and their cattle in communities within the area.
The Chief of Ejura, Barima Osei Hwedie II, recently destooled his sub-chief for his alleged role in aiding the herdsmen to perpetrate crimes at Miminaso No. 1 and 2.
This was after farmers and inhabitants accused the herdsmen of being behind recent robbery attacks, including the killing of a police constable and the destruction of farms in recent times.
Aboafohene of the Ejura Traditional Council, Nana Yaw Appiah, affirmed the Council’s decision to evict herdsmen from the communities.
“We don’t have a problem with the Fulani community in Ejura. The issue has to do with those who come in. They are not Ghanaians but we welcome them thinking they are coming to feed their cattle and go away, but they come along with robbery, kidnapping and destruction of farm produce”, he said.
A team of policemen has been deployed to the communities to help flush out the herdsmen and improve security.
The Member of Parliament for Ejura-Sekulyedumase, Mohammed Bawah Braimah, who is also a member of parliament’s Defense and Interior Committee called for urgent solutions to the concerns in the area.
“The Fulanis should come out with a plan to ensure that their coming will not endanger lives and property. If it sits well with the traditional authority, all of us will sit together and see whether their continuous influx in this community will not be to the detriment of the people.”
Police in the area are continuing investigations into recent attacks including the killing of a police constable.