I don't own all Agogo cattle – Alhaji Grunsa

Owner of Kumasi-based King Faisal football club, Alhaji Karim Grunsa has dismissed assertions by some residents of Agogo that he owns all the cattle being reared by Fulani herdsmen in the town.

Residents of Agogo in the Asante Akyim district of the Ashanti region have for some weeks now been engaged in a protracted argument with Fulani herdsmen in the area whom they accuse of terrorising residents of the town and have thus called for their eviction from the community.

The residents are thus blaming the football club owner for their predicament since they claim he owns the cattle been tended by the Fulani herdsmen.

But speaking on Adom TV's morning show, BADWAM on Multi TV, Alhaji Grunsa dismissed the concerns raised by the Agogo residents saying “I do not own all the cattle in Agogo. People associate me with cattle and Fulanis not because I own all the cattle in Agogo but because I am a public figure in Agogo.”

“I personally gave my number out to residents to complain to me when they have problems with activities of the cattle in the area so I can solve the situation. And each time I have had such complaints, I have solved them amicably and always paid compensation to the complainants” he explained.

Alhaji Grunsa also expressed his discontent with the Agogo residents and their attempts to make the Fulanis look bad.

“People are painting the Fulanis as some demons terrorizing this nation. We have bad people in this country who are doing horrible things. Why will people zoom in on the Fulanis? For instance, is Ataa Ayi a Fulani? He's not, but is he not a bad person?'' he queried.

Alhaji Grunsa dismissed suggestions that he is a Fulani man, explaining that he only works with Fulani people.

He called on members of the public to allow the Police to independently investigate the matter since their interference will prejudice the Police investigation.

But in a reaction, the District Chief Executive of Agogo, Thomas Bonsu expressed dissatisfaction with the slow pace of investigations by the Police stressing that “residents of Agogo are sick and tired”.

“Alhaji Grunsa and his Fulani cohorts are making life difficult for us in Agogo. We are consumed by their activities. It's become unbearable and farmers are crying. Apart from the unbearable activities of their cattle on the farms of residents, they kill, rape women and do terrible things to residents” he lamented.

According to him, the Agogo land has over the years served a great purpose of providing food for the country hence it should not be allowed to go waste.

“Watermelon, maize, plantain, and tomatoes are largely produced in Agogo and brought to Accra to be sold. This ensured that our youths were not migrating to Accra to sell dog chains. But that cannot be said of Agogo today. The cattle activities have destroyed almost every farm in Agogo” he said.

The DCE also noted that the Fulanis are not making use of the lands allotted them instead they have moved to lands owned by individuals thereby making life unbearable for them.

He thus called on authorities to eject all Fulanis found culpable to help restore peace in the town.

Story by Etornam Tsormey/ Multi TV