You are here: HomeNews2011 02 20Article 203514

General News of Sunday, 20 February 2011

Source: The Chronicle

Alhaji Grunsah Seeks Refuge Over Assassination Plot On His Life

The controversy surrounding the activities of Fulani herdsmen in the Asante Akim Municipality has taken a different dimension, following claims by the founder and owner of the Kumasi-based King Faisal Football Club, Alhaji Grunsah, that he had received death threats from some unidentified youth in the district.

The Kumasi-based football administrator, who also owns a large cattle ranch in the Asante Akim district, and has been a strong advocate for Fulani herdsmen in the area, says he is no longer safe, because some people had threatened to end his life, because of his insistent support for the nomadic livestock farmers.

Alhaji Grunsah told The Chronicle in an interview yesterday, that he was on his way to Accra to perform the naming ceremony of his child on Monday, when he was informed on phone by the Gyasehene of the Agogo Traditional Council that there had been an orchestrated plan to get rid of him (Alhaji Grunsah) and the Chief.

The controversial football administrator said the Gyasehene told him that he had information that there was an alleged hatched plan to get the two of them killed, because of their incessant support for the activities of the Fulani herdsmen in the community.

According to him, the Gyasehene has become a target of assassination, because he was the one who allocated the land for the owners of the cattle, including him (Alhaji Grunsah).

There have been constant clashes between residents of the Agogo community and the Fulani herdsmen, following allegations by the community that the livestock farmers were raping their women and destroying their crops. The conflicts have occasionally led to the death and injury of many, including recent reports of the alleged murder of a Fulani herdsman by one Yaw Obeng, who is currently standing trial at the Juaso Circuit Court.

Alhaji Grunsah told the Chronicle that he suspects his recent comments on the murder of the Fulani man might have triggered the decision to get him killed. He said he had made an official complaint to the Agogo Divisional Commander of the Police on the matter, and expects that the right action would be taken by the security agencies to unravel those behind the alleged death threats.