Alien herdsmen invade Banda area with cattle

Alien herdsmen with about 4,000 cattle have invaded Banda area in Brong Ahafo and destroyed farms and property.

Appealing to the government for help, Nana Sakyame Sin-Apim 11, Paramount Chief of the area, alleged that some chiefs were conniving with the herdsmen to stay, adding that, "some of them have even collected some of the cattle as bribes from the herdsmen".

Speaking to the Ghana News Agency in Sunyani, Nana Sakyame accompanied by some Elders said, "The situation has created tension in the area and fear among the people who are often chased by the animals while working on their farms".

He stated that two of the Fulani herdsman were arrested on December 1 and had been reporting to the Police in Wenchi but said the situation needed thorough investigations to "uproot the herdsmen from the area once and for all".

The Chief recalled "Operation Cow leg" two years ago, during which the military drove the alien herdsmen and their cattle away from the area. However, he said, "They have come back and are creating a lot of nuisance and inconvenience in the area". "The people may not be able to pay back loans granted them under the Poverty Alleviation Fund as the cattle will continue to destroy their farms".

Nana Sakyame also expressed concern about the activities of timber merchants who were turning the area into a desert. "You know our area is virtually savannah grassland and if these timber men are allowed to fell the few trees, there may not be any for posterity," he said.