Regional News of Friday, 5 February 2016

Source: classfmonline.com

Fulanis off to Kwabre; MP tells locals to defend selves

File photo File photo

The Member of Parliament for Kwabre East, Kofi Frimpong, has said some structures springing up in his constituency suggest Fulani nomads and herders, are moving towards his area.

He has, therefore, issued a stern warning that his constituents will do everything humanly possible to forestall the nomads and their cattle herds from pitching camp in his domain.

Speaking to Class News’ parliamentary correspondent, Ekow Annan, Mr Frimpong said he was informed by some of his constituents that they have seen some strange structures on a vast land in some towns in the constituency, which they suspect belong to Fulani herdsmen.

According to him, his constituents believe the Fulani people, who are being chased out of Agogo, are heading towards the place because the structures that have been put up look like Fulani shacks.

The Kwabre legislator said he has told his constituents to protect themselves if it happens that the suspected encroachers are Fulani.

“When they told me I said: 'This piece of land is yours. If somebody is coming there and you don’t know the person, then he is an encroacher, so, you must protect your land first and foremost, and if you suspect that they are Fulani cattle rearers, then you must be wary of them because they are dangerous'."

He noted that his people can protect themselves by expelling the Fulani or destroying their structures.

In his view the police cannot protect his constituents, and, so, they must stand and fight to protect themselves.

“Looking at what is happening in Asante Akyem Agogo, the police and military are not protecting them. The Supreme Court has ordered that these people be expelled from the land. They have not been able to do that, which means that if we are to wait for the police to come and protect you… and they are not being able to protect you, then you must be able to protect yourself."

“The police have failed the Agogo residents. If you are in your house and thieves are [stealing from] you and you can arrest or protect yourself, do you have to wait until the police come in?” he asked.

He said the call for the military to flush out the Fulani is long overdue, adding that since the Supreme Court ruling, a lot of people have been killed and a lot of women raped.