The farmers alleged that the cattlemen cattle’s had been destroying their crops for the past five years and the local authorities had turned blind eye to their plight, despite the that fact that they had complained to the relevant state authorities.
African Young Voices further gathered that farmers in the Kamakeleh and Tongoyar villages had protested against cattle herders who appeared to have limited or no control over their livestock and as a result they usually destroys the plantation of farmers.
This unpleasant situation, according to the aggrieved farmers had posed serious threat to their crops and livelihood, for the five years , even though they had made several complaints to the chiefs and other local authorities, but that nothing positive has been done in that direction.
Expressing her grievance and discontentment, the chairlady of the village, Fatu Fofanah explained that farm produce was one of their major sources of their livelihood and they markets some of these produce to educate their children.
She further narrated that their farm lands had been destroyed by cattle and other livestock, adding that they had complained to their chief, but yet still nothing has been done to resolve the imbroglio.
“We are suffering, our children are not going to school and we now buy rice at very high cost, because we are not enjoying our farm produce.” Fatu Fofanah stated.
The chiefdom speaker of Tongoya, Kallie Tongo Sesay also gave a brief the history of the life of herdsmen in Koinadugu district, and the challenges farmers were facing in that part of the country.
He said they have made several efforts for the intervention of the local court there towards resolving the mystifying state of affairs facing farmers, and seized the opportunity to plead with the government to intervene, for a lasting solution.
As a result of this, farmers in Koinadugu district, the northern part of Sierra Leone are calling on state authorities to swiftly intervene by putting in place stringent measures and ensure that the dagger drawing affair between farmers and herdsmen Koinadugu district is put to rest once and for all.
However, all the efforts made to reach the Koinadugu district cattlemen, happened to be fruitless; meanwhile, AYV is always available to source their side of the story.
