Asante-Akim North MP Andy Appiah-Kubi says he was offered a 100,000 cedi bribe from nomadic herdsmen to turn a blind eye on the wanton grazing of cattle which has led to a security crisis in Agogo in the Ashanti region.
"I refused to take that money," he told Nhyira FM investigative journalist Ohemeng Tawiah.
He said about two weeks ago, the National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO) District coordinator was given the money to convince the MP and a District Chief Executive to take the cash.
"I told them to return the money back to them," the NPP MP said and pointed to an aggressive effort to influence state officials and politicians to compromise efforts to remove the nomadic herdsmen.
"We know there is a lot of money involved....those people are dangerous folks", he said and called them 'murderers'.
His comments follow the transfer of the District Police Commander ASP Samuel Amuzu over his handling of the security crisis that has recorded monthly tragedies and casualties since October 2017.
The NPP MP has been critical of the District commander whom he claimed owned cattle in Agogo but hired the nomadic herdsmen to rear them on his behalf.
He repeated a demand from Agogo Youth Association for the transfer of the district commander.
ASP Samuel Amuzu has been replaced by DSP Joe Appiah.
There is fresh trouble in Agogo after two soldiers and a police officer were shot Monday by the herdsmen.
The residents have in the past asked for soldiers to be used in pushing out the nomadic herdsmen because the police lack the weapons and training to address the crisis.
But the presence of the soldiers who are part of a police taskforce did not deter nomads.
The NPP MP said he was shocked at the bravery of the nomadic herdsmen to take on armed soldiers.
"I had always thought that the violence of the herdsmen was directed at the indigenes...but to rain bullets on soldiers on regular duty is very dangerous".
He said powerful persons and rich paymasters are backing the herdsmen and have been assured of their protection from arrest and prosecution.
"Otherwise they would never have attempted attacking the military personnel," Andy Appiah-Kubi said, adding, the attack amounts to "a declaration of war."
The MP appealed to the farmers and indigenes to stay away from their farms as a renewed security presence work to bring the situation under control.
Some farmers were found dead on the farms and their deaths have been linked to the nefarious activities of the herdsmen.
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