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

He said residents could give the government seven days to address the security situation, after which chiefs across Gomoa would be brought together to take a collective position.

“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 was speaking on Asempa FM’s Ekosii Sen programme on Tuesday, September 1, following clashes at New Winneba that left three people dead and about 15 others injured, including a police officer.

The injured were receiving treatment at the Trauma and Specialist Hospital in Winneba.

According to the Ghana Police Service, the violence began at about 10:40 a.m. when about 300 people, allegedly armed with guns, stones, cutlasses and sticks, stormed the New Winneba Township.

Expressing concern over the incident, A-Plus said the longstanding tensions over land in the area must be addressed urgently to prevent further bloodshed.

“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.

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

Calls for restraint

Despite his anger, the MP said he would allow the Police to investigate the incident and urged residents to remain law-abiding.

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

He, however, maintained that residents had a right to protect their lives and property, while stressing that the primary responsibility for maintaining security rested with the state.

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

A-Plus also alleged that gangs and landguards had been operating in the area and attacking people on their farms, describing the situation as a longstanding problem about which authorities had previously been warned.

“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.

Previous warnings

The MP said he had previously raised concerns with officials over the land dispute and warned that the situation could eventually result in violence.

He said he had engaged Interior Minister Muntaka Mubarak and the Chief Director of the Ministry of the Interior and urged them to take action.

“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.

• READ ALSO: Three dead, 15 injured in violent clashes at New Winneba

A-Plus said he also approached the Lands Commission for clarification on the boundaries between Gomoa and Effutu lands.

“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 he subsequently submitted the report to the Interior Ministry, which instructed the Police to take action.

Allegations against Police

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

He alleged that some officers were firing their weapons indiscriminately and claimed information available to him suggested that two of those killed were shot by police officers.

“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 established and would require investigation by the appropriate authorities.

A-Plus also referred to claims by eyewitnesses that one of the deceased was among young men who had recently appeared in a social media video allegedly assaulting people in Winneba.

He said the individuals were arrested but later granted bail.

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

Land dispute

A-Plus said resolving the underlying land dispute was critical to preventing further violence and called for greater clarity over the boundaries between Gomoa and Effutu.

He argued that the legal status of the disputed lands must be respected, particularly where lands are vested and subject to administration by the appropriate authorities.

“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.

He called on the Lands Commission and other relevant state institutions to provide clarity on the boundaries and legal status of the lands.

With three people already dead following the clashes, A-Plus said leaders could no longer afford to allow tensions in the area to deteriorate further.

He urged the Police and relevant government institutions to act decisively, while calling on residents to remain calm and law-abiding to prevent the New Winneba dispute from escalating into a wider conflict.