CHECK THE FULANI MENACE (APRIL 27, 2010)

THE issue of Fulani herdsmen and their unlawful activities in the country continue to make headlines in the media, despite numerous efforts to nip a very nagging trend in the bud.
Some of the herdsmen have been implicated in the destruction of farmlands in the country, the rape of Ghanaian women and criminal activities such as robbery and assault, among other worrying developments.
The issue has become so nauseating that it was recently raised on the floor of Parliament to solicit the views of members of the House on how to curb the menace.
While new and effective strategies are being evolved to contain these herdsmen, the reported indictment of some chiefs and landlords in the country for contributing to the menace of these herdsmen is very disturbing.
According to a report by the Ghana Police Service, the indicted chiefs and landlords took money and cows from the Fulani herdsmen and allowed them to settle on their lands.
The police also noted in their report that the trend was rampant in the Northern, Eastern, Volta, Brong Ahafo, Upper East and Upper West regions and the Accra Plains.
The report noted that the issue had created a stand-off between landowners and the local political authorities who perceived the herdsmen as illegal aliens.
There is no doubt that a few selfish individuals are bent on selling their peace and security for material wealth.
Although the right to exercise ownership over those lands by the landlords and chiefs cannot be disputed, the DAILY GRAPHIC shares the concern of the police that given the history of the mess some of the Fulani herdsmen had created in the past, such ownership rights must be exercised more responsibly.
The revelation that chiefs prefer to give out lands to the Fulani herdsmen who are rich in cattle and can pay substantial amounts as settlement fees should attract the attention of the government.
Land constitutes a vital resource and is a prime requirement for many development projects, for which reason its management must be done in a very responsible manner, bearing in mind the sovereignty of Ghanaians and also the peace and security of the people.
While it is obviously wrong to act in a manner that contravenes ECOWAS protocols on the free movement of persons and goods within the sub-region, it is important to ensure that the hospitable nature of Ghanaians is not allowed to be toyed with and negatively exploited by the herdsmen who are not Ghanaians.
Ultimately, the welfare, peace and security of Ghanaians should be more important to every Ghanaian than whatever payments the Fulani herdsmen make to give them settlement rights over Ghanaian lands.
We believe that the government is closely monitoring the situation and taking appropriate steps to ensure that the issue is dealt with in an effective and decisive manner.
The DAILY GRAPHIC also duly acknowledges that the issue is a sensitive one and that the solution does not lie only in prosecuting chiefs and landowners who may be giving out their lands to these herdsmen.
We call for urgent steps to improve land administration in the country to take into consideration key issues such as the conditions to be met by foreigners before they acquire a vital resource like land in the country.