DCOP Awuni dares Aning to bring his expertise to the field

The Eastern Regional Police Commander DCOP Angwubutoge Awuni has challenged Security Expert, Dr Kwesi Aning, to stop running his mouth in the media on how the menace by Fulani herdsmen is being tackled across the country and rather move to the field to see at first hand the threat they pose.

Dr Aning has bashed the police commander for instructing his officers to “shoot and kill” the cattle of unruly Fulani herdsmen who have migrated to the Eastern region.

The Eastern Regional Police Commander, DCOP Angwubutoge Awuni, gave the directive during the launch of ‘Operation Cow Leg’ in a bid to drive out Fulanis in the region.

“I will not take any casualty on behalf of the security personnel who are going there. If there should be a casualty, it must be them. I don’t want you to come with one of you missing, you are not by this directed to fire indiscriminately, but my instruction is that you have every right to defend yourself when you come under attack. And my instruction is that; gun down the cows who will be directed to you,” DCOP Awuni told his charges.

But speaking on the Ghana Report show on Viasat 1, Dr Aning of the Kofi Annan International Peacekeeping Training Centre maintains that the position of the police will negatively affect the growth of Ghana’s economy since the Fulanis are huge contributors to that sector.

“This directive to shoot to kill cattle [is worrying]. This is against investment. I will challenge people that were we to do an economic evaluation of the contributions of Fulani herdsmen to the Ghanaian economy', I think people will be very surprised,” Dr Aning told Bernard Avle, host of the show; adding: “And for a senior police officer whose mandate under Act 350 of 1970 is to protect lives and property, is instructing his men to shoot to kill a heavy economic investment is quite disturbing and I think it is such statements that is tarnishing the scene of Ghana’s international reputation.”

However, in an interview with Fiifi Banson on Anopa Kasapa on Kasapa 102.3 FM on Tuesday, DCOP Awuni stated that inasmuch as Dr Aning and his ilk are entitled to their opinion on how to fight the Fulani menace, he (DCOP) is better placed to proffer a solution to counter the destruction by the Fulanis.

“They always sit on radio and say whatever they like on this issue. They should come to the field and see what is happening there.”

Meanwhile, one hundred and twenty security personnel made up of the military, Police and Immigration were on Monday deployed to some areas of the region where the Fulanis have caused a lot of destruction.

The month-long operation extends to areas including Fanteakwa, Upper Manya Krobo, Kwahu Affram Plains South, Kwahu Affram Plains North, Kwahu East and Dokokrom all in the Eastern region.