Tension brews at Nankese over destruction of cocoa farms by cattles
Tension is brewing within the Nankese enclave of the Suhum Municipality in the Eastern Region as herdsmen and their cattle have been destroying cocoa and food crop farms in the area.
At one point, some of the farmers met the herdsmen and their cattle heading to a cocoa farm at Abisim Dawa, one of the affected communities, and the verbal exchanges between the two groups nearly led to a fight.
The cattle, numbering about 500, have been moving in groups of approximately 50 within each farming community in the enclave.
Such a situation prompted timely intervention by the Suhum Police Commander, DSP Samuel Korang, and the Municipal Chief Executive (MCE) for the area, Lydia Sarah Ohenewaa, which prevented what would have been a bloodbath.
However, such a situation is making farmers, especially women, afraid to go to their farms because the herdsmen are normally heavily armed.
Communities
The area, comprising about 16 communities, including Nankese, the main town, Abisim Dawa, Adidiso, Adarkwa, Adjanor, Amanprobi, Ntunkum, Kpose, and Adjartey, is mainly a cocoa-growing area, and some farmers also cultivate foodstuffs such as cassava, maize, plantain, cocoyam, and a variety of yams popularly called Cocoa Ase Bayera.
Some of the destroyed cassava farms
The herdsmen and their cattle came to the area five years ago and the destruction of cocoa crops and foodstuffs has been the bone of contention between the herdsmen and the farmers.
Emergency meeting
At an emergency meeting at Nankese last Saturday, attended by representatives of the farmers as well as some of the Odikros (heads of the communities), they said they could no longer wait for the cattle to continue causing havoc to cocoa and foodstuff crops.
Some of the cattle on their way to the farms
The convener of the meeting, who is also the Spokesperson, Moro Afetsi Wonnimnti, told the Daily Graphic that he did not understand why herdsmen and their cattle should be allowed to be in a predominantly cocoa-growing area.
He stated that the cattle had been feeding on the cocoa pots and on food crops, particularly maize.
Life in danger
Mr Wonnimnti alleged that some of the local chiefs and the police had not been helpful in dealing with the situation, and that, due to the role he was playing, his life had been in danger.
He explained that some farmers who had contact with the herdsmen had warned him about the potential danger and that he had been frequently relocating his abode to avoid being killed.
According to the convener, the cattle had so far destroyed about 150 acres of both cocoa and food crop farms within the 16 farming communities.
"The animals have been destroying our cocoa and food crops and anytime we approach them, they pull out knives on us.
"We like strangers, but not their cattle as such.
If the herdsmen can stay peaceful with us without their animals, we will appreciate it," Mr Wonnimnti stated.
Farmers concerns
The Odikro of Abisim Dawa, Baffour Djangba, said that together with the other colleagues, they would continue to demand the removal of the cattle from the communities.
Baffour Djangba, who indicated that the cattle had also been destroying his cocoa and food crops, was hopeful that the herdsmen would move their cattle by the deadline.
The Ankobeahene of Ntunkum, Kwaku Larbi, who is also the General Secretary of the Nankese Traditional Council, was deeply worried and indicated that "enough is enough for the herdsmen and their cattle to continue destroying the source of the livelihood of the farmers.
Another farmer from Abisim Dawa, who is a retired public servant, Abraham Kofoya Tetteh, said the cattle continue to feed on the cocoa pods on his farm.
He said when he complained to one of the herdsmen, popularly known in the area as Odente, he initially decided to pay for the cost of the destruction, but later on refused to do so.
Mr Tetteh stated that he had,therefore, decided to pursue the issue at the Koforidua High Court as soon as possible.
A female farmer from Nankese, Ama Boafoa, told the Daily Graphic that the cattle had, for the past three years, been destroying her yam farm, her only source of income to support her aged grandmother and the entire family.
Ms Boafoa, who is also an orphan, indicated that she had to be accompanied by able-bodied men to her farm due to fear of the herdsmen and their cattle.
Mary Adubea, a plantain farmer from Amanprobi, said that when the cattle destroyed her farm, she reported the incident to the police, who did not act on it.
She, however, accused some of the landowners of allowing the cattle on their lands.
Some of the herdsmen, when contacted on the issue, decline to speak.
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