The situation, worsened by the dry season, has left many worried about the potential outbreak of waterborne diseases.

With their wells dried up, the community fears a return to the days of rampant guinea worm infestations.

Speaking to Adom News, some frustrated residents, particularly women, appealed to the government and corporate organizations for urgent intervention.

Assembly Member for Gulumpe, Seidu Muazu, lamented the dire conditions, stating that over 12,000 residents are affected, with health centers overwhelmed by cases of typhoid, cholera, and malaria.

He called on the government and NGOs to provide a mechanized borehole to alleviate their plight.

“We have over 12,000 people in this area, yet our living conditions are bad. We are sharing water with livestock; our health centers are filled with all forms of illnesses like typhoid, cholera, and malaria. We urge the government and NGOs to help us get a mechanized borehole to help us in this community,” he said.

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The surge in prices is primarily linked to the high exchange rate between the Ghanaian cedi and the West African CFA Franc, which has significantly raised the cost of importing animals from Burkina Faso and other Francophone countries.

Avenor, usually a bustling hub for livestock trade during the Christmas season, has seen low activity this year.

While potential buyers continue to visit the market, traders report that actual sales have been disappointingly low.

Speaking to Citi News, a trader expressed frustration over the situation, citing the impact of the exchange rate.

“People are not buying the animals, and we don’t know what is happening. The animals are costly, but it’s not their fault. It’s because of the Cedi-CFA Franc exchange rate. We have animals priced between GH¢800 and GH¢6,000,” the trader said.

Another trader pointed out the significant price hikes compared to last year.

“The CFA Franc has gone up, so goats we used to sell for GH¢1,000 are now GH¢1,500. It’s all due to the exchange rate,” the trader explained.

For many traders who rely on the festive season as a peak sales period, this year’s slump has been disheartening.

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John Aminda suspects his farmhouse was deliberately set on fire for a reason best known to the perpetrators.

The incident, which happened on Tuesday night, left the man devastated and speechless. 

“I couldn’t believe what I saw on my farm,” he said.

The average cost of one of the sheep is ¢800. This means he has lost about ¢30,000.

He said there were no fire activities around the farm before the incident happened.

“It beats my imagination,” he added.

He worked for many years to raise the animals, but, unfortunately, it took a day for someone to destroy everything.
He doesn’t know where and how to start life again.

He recounts how he was attacked on his farm one night by some criminals. He reported the case to the Binaba police for investigation.

The killing of the animals came as a surprise to many residents as some of them gather to watch the animals’ lifeless bodies.

They expressed disappointment and promised to help find the perpetrators of the act.

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John Akumbole, for instance, is calling on community members to report suspected criminals to the appropriate authorities to deal with them.

Sub-chief of the community, Komisah Ndeogo, believes the gods of the land will punish the perpetrators of the act.

The police command has since visited the scene and assured residents to remain calm as they commence investigations. 

Personnel of the Agricultural Department of the Bawku West District were also present to collect data on the incident.

The driver, who drives Opel Astra with registration number AW 5176‐ 12 and uses the Yeji to Atabubu road often, was arrested by the police with 18 sheep in a taxi heading towards Atabubu and it’s environs.

The police said upon interrogation they released that the sheep were stolen, hence his arrest.

After the news broke, some individuals from Yeji and also communities in the suburb of Yeji flocked the station for identification and collection.