Cattle owner Alhaji Karim Grunsah claims no herdsman has ravaged farmlands in the last two years.

'I am confident of what I am saying' he told Joy FM Super Morning Show, Wednesday.

He maintained that cattle-rearing men in Agogo in the Ashanti region were restricted to a fodder area carved out for them by National Security.

Alhaji Grunsah was referring to a period when he was elected leader of the cattle owners in Ghana. He has since been replaced with  Edward Asadu who also owns Asadu Waste Company Ltd.

The claims by Mr Grunsah notwithstanding, a documentary-Violent Shepherds- put together by the Nhyira FM's Ohemeng Tawiah in September 2017, captured scenes of cattle grazing on farms, a development which triggered lots of misunderstanding, clashes between indigenes and the nomads. 

With some few days into the new year, the clashes appear to have worsened. The latest attack in fodder-rich Agogo in the Asante-Akim North district of the Ashanti region involved some nomadic herdsmen who shot at three soldiers and a police officer.

The security taskforce was responding to a distress call from a woman whose farm was being destroyed by marauding cattle.

Alhaji Grunsah condemned the lawlessness in Agogo.

He suggested the attacks must be blamed on some herdsmen from West Africa and indigenes who do not understand a Kumasi High Court ruling on the conflict between the farmers and the herdsmen, for the attacks.

He said the Kumasi High court ruling did not direct the expulsion of the herdsmen as some residents believe.

"Some people take the law in the hands saying the court has asked them to sack the cattle. The ruling did not indicate that."

Some residents of Agogo who were part of the Agogo Youth Association, Agogomanmakuo and Agogo Worldwide Association had dragged the herdsmen to a Kumasi High Court because the herdsmen had failed to comply fully with the terms of the agreement which regularized their stay in the area.

The ruling among other things directed the herdsmen to construct a kraal and also provide a source of water to ensure that the cattle did not go out to destroy water bodies and farmlands.

On January 20, 2012, the Kumasi High Court ordered the REGSEC “to take immediate, decisive, efficacious and efficient action to flush out all cattle from Aberewapong, Mankaila, Nyamebekyere, Kowereso, Adomemu, Bebuoso and Brahabebome; all in the Agogo Traditional Area, the only exception being cattle that have been properly confined in a permitted area”.

But two days to the sixth anniversary of the ruling, the directive has yet to be fully implemented.

Alhaji Grunsah believes herdsmen from other West African countries are those causing havoc even on the local herdsmen in Agogo.

There are suggestions that the nomadic Fulanis who are not Ghanaians are the ones responsible for the attacks.

Edward Asadu has said they usually come during the Harmattan season and cause the problem.