New campaign against alien herdsmen

The Northern Regional Security Committee, in conjunction with the district assemblies, is preparing to mount a new campaign to drive away alien herdsmen from the region.

The campaign, which will start from the end of this year, will be similar to "Operation Cow-Leg", which was undertaken by the Ministry of Food and Agriculture and the security agencies in 1989 to get rid of the herdsmen.

Mr. Adam Kaleem, a former Deputy Secretary for Agriculture, said at a consultative meeting at Tamale on Wednesday that the cattle are not only destroying property, but are also agents of rinderpest, anthrax and foot and mouth diseases.

District Chief Executives and Co-ordinating Directors of Administration who attended the meeting planned strategies for the exercise. The herdsmen are armed and are therefore a security risk to the communities, he said, and deplored the attitude of some chiefs who are influenced with gifts of cattle from the herdsman. Mr Kaleem advised the DCEs to co-operate with the chiefs and other community leaders for a successful operation. Mr Joshua Alabi, Regional Minister, directed the chief executives to submit a comprehensive report on the activities of the herdsmen. ?