The youth of the Agogo traditional area have commended the current government for its immense contribution to evacuating the Fulani herdsmen from Agogo. They have however called on the government to do more to totally drive out the remaining hidden herdsmen from the hinterlands of Agogo state to enable them move freely particularly to their farms without fear.
According to the Saamanhene of Asante Akyem Agogo, Nana Obeng Amoako, on behalf of the youth, thanked the current government for its efforts in driving the Fulani herdsmen out of Agogo land but indicated that there are about 30% of the herdsmen who still live in the hinterlands. “We are very happy to see this era where we can freely move to our various farms and work. We give thanks to the NPP government for such relentless efforts in driving away the Fulani herdsmen but there are still recalcitrant ones who are hiding in the hinterlands in our community. We do not want our grandchildren to suffer as we did in the hands of the Fulani herdsmen, so we are therefore, asking the government to do more to totally sweep away the remaining 30 percent”. He said
The influx of the Fulani herdsmen brought unrest to the people of Agogo with its associated killings and destruction of farms. According to the youth, the Fulani herdsmen brought total ebb of economic activities in the sense that they could not freely go to their farms to work. Moreover, their farms were foraged by the cattle and this caused total destruction to their farm produces. Meanwhile, Asante Kyem Agogo was popularly noted for producing plantain, cabbage, carrot, watermelon, banana and the like, in large quantities for the country in the past decades before the Fulani herdsmen invaded the Agogo community with their cattle which reduced their yields.
The Kontihene of Asante Akyem Agogo hinted AgricToday news team that some of the Forestry Commissioners are behind the reluctance of the Fulani herdsmen failure to leave the town. According to him, some of the Forestry Commissioners received cattle as gifts from the Fulani herdsmen and have given them lands to settle on in the forest and that was the reason why they were not able to move the Fulani herdsmen from their land right from the onset. He said ‘’we are rearing cattle in their town but they make sure the cattle do not destroy people’s farms and the cattle are properly housed unlike the Fulani herdsmen whose cattle are often allowed to graze in people’s farms.’’
The people of Agogo community and its environs are therefore appealing to the government, the security agencies and other stakeholders to help completely evacuate the remaining 30% of the Fulani herdsmen from the area.
