Kwame A Plus Wants Sale of Unplanned Lands Banned to Curb Flooding

Gomoa Central MP Kwame Asare Obeng, popularly known as Kwame A Plus, has proposed sweeping reforms to Ghana’s land administration system, calling for a ban on the sale of lands that have not been properly planned and approved.

Speaking during a live broadcast on the country’s recurring flooding crisis, A Plus argued that the lack of proper land-use planning is one of the biggest contributors to illegal developments and annual floods.

He proposed that no chief, family head or landowner should be allowed to sell land unless a detailed planning scheme or layout has been approved by the appropriate authorities. According to him, every parcel of land should clearly indicate roads, drainage systems, public facilities, schools, hospitals and other essential infrastructure before it is put on the market.

The Gomoa Central lawmaker further suggested that the government revoke leases on large parcels of land that have not been developed with approved planning schemes, rather than waiting until people construct buildings that later have to be demolished.

A Plus also called on the Lands Commission, district assemblies and planning authorities to tighten enforcement of existing regulations to prevent the indiscriminate sale of land.

He maintained that Ghana’s current system allows developers to create communities first before the government is forced to provide roads, electricity and drainage infrastructure, a practice he described as unsustainable.

According to him, implementing stricter land planning laws would help prevent future flooding, improve urban development and reduce the need for costly demolitions in the years ahead.

Story by: Abena Nyame