Irate farmers in Afram Plains give govt 1 week ultimatum to drive away nomadic herdsmen

Farmers at Maame Krobo in the Kwahu Afram Plains South District of the Eastern Region have given the government a week’s ultimatum to stop activities of nomadic herdsmen with Fulani descent from their land.

The aggrieved farmers have had their farmlands destroyed by cattle belonging to the herdsmen.

The association of farmers at Maame Krobo said they are tired of the constant destruction to their farms by the nomadic herdsmen.

They want them out because they can no longer co-exist.

“It’s been 10 years of constant destruction of our farmlands. My ten acres of maize farm is gone. We can’t contain them anymore.”

Women have also complained about the constant sexual abuse by the nomadic farmers.

“They meet us on the way to the farm holding guns and other weapons, and they want to have sex with us. The abuse can no longer be endured. Our farms are our livelihood.”

A committee member at the fodder banks explained that the nomadic herdsmen resort to destroying people’s farms to feed their cattle rather than paying to the management of the fodder banks to get their cattle to graze.

“The fodder bank at Wawase can contain enough cattle but these Fulani nomadic farmers do not want to pay for the services there,” he said, “they just want to perpetuate pain to the farmers here.”

The fodder banks were the government’s intervention for nomadic farmers in the Kwahu Afram Plains area for cattle feeding to resolve the constant violence between indigenous farmers and the nomadic herdsmen.

Chief of Kwahu Abetifi Nana Agyeman Asiedu threw his support behind the farmers and demanded government listen to the plea of his people.

“Government should quickly intervene before the issue gets out of hand. My people are suffering.”