[ 2011-11-24 ]

Nana Akuoko Sarpong

I did nothing wrong against my people - Akuoko Sarpong
The Paramount Chief of the Agogo Traditional Area,
Nana Akuoko Sarpong, has broken his long silence
on the furore over Fulani herdsmen in the Agogo
area, denying allegations that he signed a secret
pact with the herdsmen.

He also refuted claims that he derived personal
benefits from the occupation of the herdsmen on
Agogo Stool lands.

He conceded that there was an agreement between
the Agogo Traditional Council and the Fulani
herdsmen, but said that the agreement was signed
at an open ceremony in 2006, adding that the
proceeds accruing from the tenancy of the
four-year deal were collected by the Administrator
of Stool Lands.

“So there was no secrecy about this. It was an
open house arrangement and discussion,” Nana
Sarpong told the Daily Graphic. “It’s not the
practice of the Agogo Traditional Council to enter
into secret pacts. ”

Over the past few months, the people of Agogo have
waged a relentless campaign to flush out Fulani
herdsmen from the area, accusing the herdsmen of
destroying farms, raping women and girls, killing
people and indulging in all kinds of criminal
activities.

The issue generated a lot of passion and public
discussion with some citizens of Agogo at one
point taking a militant and radical approach by
resolving not to allow the paramount chief to
perform the funeral and burial rites of his uncle.


National Security eventually intervened and gave
an ultimatum to the Fulani herdsmen to vacate
Agogo lands or risk forceful ejection.

As the hullabaloo on the Fulani herdsmen raged,
the Paramount Chief of Agogo remained silent
because he thought that the nature of media
reportage on the matter did not make it
appropriate for him to comment, apart from the
fact that the media did not deem it necessary to
seek his opinion.

“I don’t own cattle. My passion is planting
trees and doing fish farming,” Nana Akuoko said,
indicating that he has planted 10,000 hectares of
teak trees. “Sometimes, there is merit in the
old wise saying that silence is golden and that
genius is knowing when and where to stop,” he
remarked.

Nana Akuoko Sarpong explained that the agreement
signed between the Agogo Traditional Council and
the Fulani herdsmen included conditions for the
herdsmen to provide fencing for the cattle on the
land they occupied and dig boreholes for the water
needs of the animals.

He said to seal the agreement and in line with
custom, the Fulani herdsmen were requested to pay
GH¢5000 for drinks to the traditional council, a
payment to which receipt was duly issued with the
copies of the agreement kept at the municipal
assembly.
According to Nana Akuoko Sarpong, the decision to
sign the agreement was in the best interest of the
people of Agogo, since the essence of it was to
promote a meat industry in the area.

“I don’t regret entering into the agreement
with the herdsmen because it was a perfect
arrangement to sustain the growth of the meat
industry,” he said.

He said the traditional council, realising that
the Fulani herdsmen had breached the terms of the
agreement in respect of fencing the land for the
cattle and digging boreholes for the animals,
initiated a legal action against them.

Source - Daily Graphic

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