A-Plus gives government seven-day ultimatum over New Winneba violence

Gomoa Central Member of Parliament Kwame Asare Obeng, popularly known as A-Plus, has warned that residents in the area could resort to collective action if the government fails to take urgent steps to protect them following deadly clashes at New Winneba in the Central Region.

The MP said residents could give the government a seven-day window to restore security in the area. If no decisive action is taken within that period, he said, traditional leaders across Gomoa could be convened to determine a common response.

“If the law does not take it [up], we the people of Gomoa will come together, we will give them seven days, we will call every chief in Gomoa and declare the government an enemy of Gomoa. If they don’t protect us, we will protect ourselves,” he said.

A-Plus made the remarks on Asempa FM’s Ekosii Sen programme on Tuesday, September 1, following violent clashes at New Winneba that claimed three lives and left about 15 people injured, including a police officer.

The injured victims were subsequently taken to the Trauma and Specialist Hospital in Winneba for treatment.

Long-running land tensions

The MP attributed the latest violence to longstanding tensions surrounding land ownership and boundaries in the area, warning that the dispute must be addressed before it results in further loss of life.

He said political and traditional leaders had a responsibility to confront the matter despite disagreements over the issue.

“This issue has been long-standing. For peace to prevail, for the sake of harmony to exist between us, we must address or handle this issue as leaders, irrespective of how unhappy we are,” he said.

Expressing anger over the deaths, A-Plus said the situation must not be allowed to deteriorate further.

“We don’t want this issue to escalate. Three lives have been lost already. I am very angry,” he added.

Calls for calm

Despite his strong warning, the MP said he would allow the Police Service to investigate the incident and urged residents not to take the law into their own hands.

“We are going to allow the Police to handle this matter. We are going to be law-abiding,” he said.

He maintained, however, that citizens have a legal right to protect themselves and their property, while stressing that the primary responsibility for maintaining public security rests with the state.

“The law allows us to protect lives and property. The law allows us to defend ourselves and protect our properties,” he stated.

Claims of landguard activities

A-Plus further alleged that gangs and landguards had operated in parts of the area for some time, including attacking residents on their farms.

According to him, the problem had existed for years and authorities had previously been alerted to the potential for violence.

“There are so many things that have gone on in this area, with a few people trying to create gangs in this area, with landguards attacking people on their farms,” he alleged.

He said he had raised the matter with government officials, including Interior Minister Muntaka Mubarak and the Chief Director of the Ministry of the Interior.

According to the MP, he had warned officials that failure to address the tensions could eventually lead to violence.

“I have told them everything. Last year or so, I told them this thing will happen. I told them that they have to take care of these things,” he said.

Lands Commission report

A-Plus said he had also contacted the Lands Commission over the disputed boundaries between Gomoa and Effutu.

He explained that he requested a comprehensive report to clarify the demarcation and legal status of the lands in question.

“I have gone to the Lands Commission. I wrote to the Lands Commission to give me a comprehensive report on Effutu and Gomoa land because it is something that could potentially cause confusion between the two boundaries, and they gave me a comprehensive report,” he said.

He claimed that the report was subsequently submitted to the Interior Ministry, which then directed the Police to take action.

MP raises concerns about police conduct

While reiterating his support for the Police, A-Plus also raised concerns about the conduct of some officers during the clashes.

He alleged that some officers fired their weapons indiscriminately and claimed information available to him indicated that two of the deceased may have been killed by police gunfire.

“I support the Police, but the Police, some of them in this area were just about everywhere, just firing guns sporadically. According to information I gathered, policemen killed two of the people there,” he said.

The allegation has not been independently verified and would have to be established through the appropriate investigation.

A-Plus also referred to claims by some eyewitnesses concerning one of the deceased, who was allegedly among young men recently featured in a social media video purportedly showing an assault on individuals in Winneba.

He said those involved had been arrested but were subsequently granted bail.

“Why must this continue like that? The Police must be here. The Police must protect the people,” he said.

Calls for clarity on disputed lands

The Gomoa Central MP maintained that resolving the land dispute was essential to preventing further violence.

He called on the Lands Commission and other relevant state institutions to provide definitive clarification on the boundaries between Gomoa and Effutu, as well as the legal status of the disputed lands.

A-Plus argued that where land has been vested and is subject to state administration, the relevant legal procedures must be followed.

“The land in this area is vested, and if a land is vested, you cannot go and sell the land. It is the Lands Commission that will administer the land,” he said.

With three people already dead, the MP said authorities could no longer afford to treat the tensions as a routine land disagreement.

He urged the Police and other state agencies to act decisively to restore calm, while calling on residents to remain peaceful and law-abiding as efforts continue to prevent the conflict from spreading.