A-Plus' land sale app sparks tension in Winneba and Gomoa

There is uneasy calm over land ownership in the Effutu Municipality following accusations that the Independent Member of Parliament for Gomoa Central, Kwame Asare Obeng, popularly known as A-Plus, is using a digital land acquisition application as a cover to unlawfully appropriate Effutu lands for private gain.

Central to the controversy is the Digital Land Acquisition and Management Platform (DILAP), an app reportedly created under the auspices of the Gomoa Central Special Economic Zone (GCSEZ).

The platform was unveiled as part of the launch of the GCSEZ on October 22, 2025, at the Kempinski Hotel in Accra.

The event was attended by high-profile figures, including the Speaker of Parliament, Alban Bagbin, and the Presidential Advisor on the 24-Hour Economy, Goosie Tanoh.

At the launch, it was projected that A-Plus had secured “litigation-free” lands earmarked for schools, industries, logistics, and commercial ventures.

DILAP was presented as a transparent digital tool that would allow investors to browse available lands, make payments, and track projects from acquisition through construction without intermediaries.

The allegations are contained in a petition dated January 9, 2026, addressed to President John Dramani Mahama by Ebusuapanyin William De-Carthia of the New Winneba Tumpa Anona Royal Family, who is also an Assembly Member for the Ndaamba Electoral Area.

According to the petition, tensions escalated on January 8, 2026, when A-Plus allegedly led a combined team of military and police personnel onto Effutu lands along the Winneba–Cape Coast Road, where Effutu youth were allegedly assaulted in an attempt to forcibly take possession of the land.

The incident, the petitioner claims, represents “a blatant disregard for the rule of law and an affront to the dignity of the Effutu people.”

The petition further recalls that during the 2024 general election campaign, A-Plus promised constituents in Gomoa Central that he would reclaim lands he alleged belonged to Gomoa but were occupied by Effutu communities.

Since winning the parliamentary seat, he is accused of aggressively pursuing that agenda, leading to what the petition describes as a “declaration of war” against the Effutu people.

It also alleges that A-Plus, accompanied by alleged thugs, has laid claim to lands along the Winneba–Cape Coast Road and, at one point, allegedly pulled a firearm on an Effutu youth leader, David Kofi Amoah, also known as “Cash.”

However, Effutu leaders and residents strongly dispute A-Plus’ claims. They argue that the digital platform is a deliberate ruse designed to lend legitimacy to what they describe as illegal land sales.

“Even established estate developers in Ghana do not use mobile apps to acquire stool or family lands,” one resident said. “Land acquisition here requires engagement with chiefs, families, and traditional authorities, not downloading an app.”

Residents and traditional leaders have also questioned the propriety of a sitting Member of Parliament spearheading a land sales platform.

“His duty is to make laws and represent the people in Parliament, not to develop apps for selling land,” another community member said. “This is a clear conflict of interest.”

The petition asserts that the lands A-Plus claims to have registered within the special economic zone are not litigation-free, as advertised, but form part of extensive tracts belonging to the Effutu State.

It accuses the MP of attempting to involve central government and state security agencies only after Effutu youth physically resisted efforts by him and purported buyers to take possession of the land.

Traditional authorities in the area are also opposed to the DILAP model.

According to the petition, chiefs insist that any genuine investors interested in Gomoa or surrounding areas should physically engage traditional leaders and land-owning families rather than acquire land through a digital platform.

“The chiefs want investors to come, sit down, and follow custom,” the petition states. “Not to hide behind an app created by a politician with vested interests.”

As of the time of filing this report, A-Plus had not publicly responded to the allegations. Efforts to reach him for comment were unsuccessful.