Fulanis call for peaceful co-existence

Leaders of Fulani communities in the Pru District of Brong-Ahafo Region, have appealed to the government and traditional authorities to save them from brutalities meted out to their herdsmen by some communities' members and security agents.

Chief Ali Issah, leader of the Fulani community at Yeji, made the call on behalf of the other leaders at a durbar to officially introduce himself to his kinsmen, since his enthronement two years ago.

The durbar brought Fulani herdsmen from all over the country as well as a Fulani chief from Niger.

Chief Issah said, obtaining the Alien Registration Certificate was a major problem facing Fulanis in the country and noted that in some cases Fulanis who did not possess the certificate were subjected to severe beatings and extortion of monies by the police in the northern parts of the country.

“The way the police in particular treat Fulanis is inhumane”, he said and appealed to the Ministry of Interior to intervene to ensure that Fulanis lived in peace in the country.

Chief Issah admonished Fulani herdsmen in Ghana to be law-abiding and to eschew all forms of violent behaviour that could affect the stability of the country.

Mallam Yahaya Mohammed, Fulani Chief of Chenderi in the Volta region also expressed regret about how some security agencies forcibly extorted monies from Fulanis.

“No Fulani can use force to occupy any part of the country”, he noted and appealed to traditional authorities to live in peace and harmony with them for the development of the county.

Mallam Yahaya called on the general public to report herdsmen with questionable character to the leaders for the appropriate sanctions to be taken against them.

“We want to ensure that we live peacefully with one another, especially with Ghanaians”, he added, alleging that some security personnel in the Volta region assaulted and extorted huge sums of money from them when they wanted to obtain alien registration certificates.