RESPECT OUR LAWS (MAY 15, 2010)

FULANI herdsmen continue to pose serious security threats in many communities in the country, despite numerous efforts to check their activities.
These nomadic farmers and traders are found in many parts of the country, usually with herds of cattle and other animals in search of food for their livestock.
On many occasions, local Ghanaian farmers have complained about the invasion of their farms by the herdsmen with their cattle and other livestock, leading to the destruction of crops.
The Fulanis are traditionally of West African origin, although some accounts also say they may have migrated from North Africa.
Historical accounts indicate that they are a group that had exercised some dominance in West Africa and, from as early as the 17th century through to the 19th century, they had been involved in the take-over of various states in West Africa.
Today, the group is a scattered lot and although they wield very little dominance in the sub-region, they continue to make the news, primarily because of the mayhem some of them cause in the communities they migrate to.
Quite recently, there were some concerns that some local Ghanaian chiefs preferred selling their lands to these herdsmen because of the money they offered to the chiefs.
Indeed, those concerns were expressed against the backdrop that the Fulanis integrated into their host communities and allegedly indulged in illicit activities such as robbery and the sexual assault of women.
The most recent of such incidents was the alleged murder of two butchers, who had gone to purchase cows at a village near Salaga in the Northern Region, by some Fulani herdsmen.
Indeed, as noted earlier, the Fulanis have been the subject of many security interventions but the fruits of those interventions have usually been short-lived.
The DAILY GRAPHIC believes that the threat posed by the Fulani herdsmen cannot be allowed to thrive, especially as it has serious implications for human and food security in some of the host communities.
There is, therefore, the need for the security agencies to continue to explore ways of addressing this menace which has been allowed to fester for a long time.
While it is important to recognise ECOWAS protocols that permit the free movement of goods and persons within the sub-region, it stands to reason that the exercise of such freedoms does not bring pain and hardship to the host country or community.
And while the security agencies play their part, it is also important to remind chiefs and landowners who give out lands to the herdsmen to do so responsibly so that they do not surrender their very livelihoods and security to the herdsmen.
Quite recently, the issue was raised on the floor of Parliament and all the members who contributed to the statement expressed worry over the threat posed by the herdsmen and called for urgent action to check their activities.
Indeed, the Speaker of the House said there was the need for the relevant ministries, including the Foreign Affairs Ministry and the Ministry of Defence, to co-ordinate to find ways of addressing the issue to ensure that no protocols were breached.
The DAILY GRAPHIC adds its voice to this call and emphasises the need for a concerted effort on the part of the relevant ministries to address the canker.
No one can discount the economic benefits of livestock production, but the quest to address the country’s livestock demands does not mean that the security and livelihoods of its people must be sacrificed in such a manner.