'OPERATION COW LEG' REACTIVATED TO FLUSH OUT FULANI HERDSMEN

 

 

A section of the destroyed plantain farm

The Ashanti Regional Security Council, REGSEC, has re-activated Operation Cow Leg, a security strategy, to flush out all nomadic herdsmen and their cattle from the Agogo enclave of the Asante Akyem North district of the Ashanti region as a lasting solution to the perennial feud between the indigenes and the nomads. 

By next week, the REGSEC would have come out with a comprehensive road map for the operation which will comprise both military and police personnel to be carried out.  

The Ashanti Regional Minister and Chairman of the REGSEC, Samuel Sarpong, made this known to media practitioners after leading members of the REGSEC to learn at first hand the extent of damage caused by the roaming cattle to food crops belonging to citizens. 

Among the entourage were the Police Commander, DCOP Nathan Kofi Boakye and the General Officer Commanding the Central Command of the Ghana Armed Forces, Brigadier General Joseph Boampong.

 At the meeting with the traditional authority, the queen, Nana Afrakoma Kusi Obodum, and the Kontihene, Nana Kwame Nti, commended the REGSEC for the bold step being taking to address the problem once and for all. 

They however asked the government of take up the cost of the operation since the previous one had a heavy toll on the District Assembly and the Community. 

They also called on the President to  appoint another District Chief Executive to replace the incumbent, Daniel Osei Kwadwo, whom they accused of not available to attend to the needs of vthe people. 

At the meeting with the community, the Regional Minister asked the people to refrain from taking the law into their own hands so as to maintain the peace. 

At the meeting with the leadership of the Fulani herdsmen, the spokesperson, Alhaji Mohammed Mirago, admitted that some of the cattle have strayed to destroy some crop farms for which compensation is being paid to the affected farmers. 

Alhaji Mirago complained however, that, inasmuch as the herdsmen are doing all within their ability to stay away from the farming area of the people, some of the farmers also keep getting closer to the grazing areas of the cattle with the belief that those lands have become fertilized by the dung of the cattle after listening to all the sides in the impasse, the REGSEC members went to the grounds to see things for themselves.

In fact, the team traveled covered a very long distance before coming face-to-face with the reality. 

Large tracks of plantain farms had been totally destroyed ostensibly by the strayed cattle. 

Ashanti Regional Minister, Samuel Sarpong

Mr Sarpong, in an interview with the media, assured that with the extent of the damaged caused, nothing would be left to chance again for which reason already one pick up has been given to the Asante Akyem Akyem District Assembly with another one to be released very to carry out the Operation Cow Leg saying that government will bear the cost. 

He said the ECOWAS Protocol on free movement of citizens across borders of members countries is not a permission for lawlessness and breach of security in host countries.

BACGROUND

 Citizens of Asante Akyem Agogo in the Ashanti region have for many years been battling nomadic 

herdsmen and their cattle as a result of an alleged destruction to the crop farms, water bodies, threats of harms, injurious, sexual molestation as well as occasional murders blamed on these Fulani herdsmen.

 The people of Agogo are predominantly farmers who engage in commercial production of maize, plantain, tomatoes and water melon on large scales. 

In view of the misunderstanding between the citizens and the Fulani herdsmen, a citizen prayed the High Court for government to eject the herdsmen and their cattle from the area and was had his application upheld by the Courts in 2012.

 It was expected that after the ruling, the nomads would keep to their confinement which is miles away from the Agogo township.  

However, the problem of destruction of crop farms is said to exist. 

This has brought about an uneasy calm between the indigenes and the nomads creating a security situation. 

This prompted the REGSEC to send a delegation headed by the Regional Police Commander, DCOP Nathan Kofi Boakye to visit the area to find out the real situation and later informed the REGSEC. 

It was based on the information that the entire REGSEC members led by the Chairman,  Samuel Sarpong went on a fact finding mission.