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Activities of cattle from
outside has national security implication-Deputy Minister
Accra, July 5, GNA - A Deputy Minister of Food and
Agriculture, Mr Clement Eledi, said on Thursday that the
influx of cattle from neighbouring countries and the
attendant destruction of life and property had become a
national security issue.
"Presently, discussions are on-going under the headship of
the National Security Council to find out how best the
situation can be contained, especially when our own
livestock are sometimes also involved," he told Parliament
in response to a question on plans to check the influx of
these cattle and the havoc involved.
He said the goal of all ECOWAS countries, except Mauritania,
was to foster economic integration and this had led to the
free movement of people, goods and livestock.
"In pursuance of this objective, the heads of state of
member countries signed a protocol in 1998 that grants easy
movements to owners of herds and flocks of livestock to
facilitate seasonal migration across the common borders of
these countries."
"As a result of this protocol, Ghana has, for sometime now
been battling with the influx of these livestock from member
countries," Mr Eledi added.
He said discussions, led by the National Security Council,
would establish some secured areas where communal grazing
grounds could be sited with various interventions such as
the fencing of demarcated area, provision of water and
anti-bushfire campaign in focus.
He said two locations, Mame Krobo in the Afram Plains and
Dawadawa in the Kintampo North District have been earmarked
for the project.
In response to another question on why work at the Tanoso
Dam site in the Techiman South Constituency had come to a
standstill, the Deputy Minister said an audit on aspects of
the project stalled work but the project would soon resume
and be completed this year.
GNA
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