Danger looms in Kwahu over Fulanis

There is a looming danger waiting to explode in New Oworobon, a farming community in the Kwahu South District of the Eastern Region.

This follows the resolve of the Chief and people of the community to take the law into their own hands, and kill any cow belonging to Fulani herdsmen found grazing on their farms.

The Fulani herdsmen, on the other hand, have vowed not to sit down unconcerned for the residents of the area to wantonly kill their animals, warning that their action is provocative and could lead to war, according to a representative of the nomads in the area.

Speaking in an interview with The Chronicle, Nana Brifa Dankwa II-Chief of New Oworobon explained that for some time now, Fulani herdsmen operating within the community have been destroying their crops, with their cattle, raping their sisters, daughters and wives as well as robbing them at gun point.

According to the Chief, in January this year, he sent a petition to all the relevant security agencies in the country highlighting the activities of the Fulani herdsmen and the urgent need to let them leave his land.

Throwing light on the content of the petition, Nana Brifa Dankwa II mentioned that somewhere in 1960, the government, on behalf of Volta River Authority (VRA), acquired several acres of stool lands belonging to New Oworobon for the construction of the Volta Dam.

He stressed that, the government in turn acquired and resettled the affected citizens at their present location spanning 11,171.886 acres. It was agreed that between three and six acres of land would be allocated to each adult.

Pointing out that the main occupation of his subjects is farming; Nana Dankwa II continued that, they cultivate food crops and vegetables all year round to take care of their families.

However, he noted, these peasant farmers have been suffering from many atrocities at the hands of these Fulani herdsmen, in recent times, particularly farmlands at Aboam and Mpaem.

He averred that, the Fulani herdsmen have not only destroyed almost all the farmlands in the area, but they have also polluted the water bodies by allowing their cattle to drink and muddy them.

As if that is not enough, these Fulani Herdsmen have been committing heinous and despicable acts of raping their women as well as indulging in armed robbery activities creating fear and panic in the community.

Continuing, the New Oworobon Chief noted that as law-abiding citizens, they have tried to restrain themselves from the provocative activities of the Fulani herdsmen by petitioning the relevant security agencies to help bring peace to the area, but to no avail.

Nana Dankwa II said when he waited for some time and there was no response, he followed up the petition with a press conference a fortnight ago, to remind the authorities of their suffering.

“It got to a point where we can no longer stand aloof, but to defend our crops, community and ourselves in order to have a decent living since the security agencies, particularly the police, have refused to act on the several petitions we sent to them.”

And when still, no response was forthcoming, the Chief, his elders and people of the community held a meeting to plan a programme they codenamed, “Operation Fulani Must Go” aimed at getting rid of the nomads in the area for good, he said.

Therefore, he continued, on May 25, this year, all able bodied persons in the community went to their farms and slaughtered any cattle they found grazing and destroying their crops, saying they succeeded in killing many cattle.

Personnel from the Mpraeso District Police Command, led by Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) Emmanuel Owuradu, found the action of the Chief and his people unacceptable and thus arrested the Assemblyman of the area, who allegedly led the “Operation Fulani Must Go”.

In spite of the ongoing, the Chief and his people are determined to continue with the killing of the animals and anybody who would stand in their way, until as they put it, “the last person in the womb is arrested by the police.”

On Sunday, The Chronicle gathered that residents of New Oworobon embarked on a demonstration to press home their demand for authorities to send away the nomads from the community.

In the process, they accused ASP Owuradu of being in bed with the Fulanis, hence his inability to act on the petitions they have sent to him.

When contacted on phone for his reaction to the accusation leveled against him around 9am yesterday, ASP Owuradu told this reporter that he was in a meeting and so he should call back in an hour’s time. When the reporter called again, the Police boss did not answer the calls.

Meanwhile, information reaching the paper at the time of filing this report was that the Assembly member for the area, Kofi Nkrumah Asante who was arrested for allegedly leading the “Operation Fulani Must Go” has been granted bail.