Three officials of the Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly (KMA) were injured after a demolition exercise at Adum in Kumasi descended into violence on Wednesday, July 8.
The confrontation occurred behind the COCOBOD building near the Asafo Overpass when residents occupying makeshift structures reportedly resisted efforts by a KMA taskforce to clear the area.
According to the Assembly, the operation targeted structures believed to have been erected illegally along waterways as part of measures to improve drainage and reduce the risk of flooding during the peak rainy season.
The situation, however, escalated after some occupants challenged the exercise, claiming they had not been given prior notice to leave the area. During the clash, several Assembly vehicles and equipment were allegedly vandalised, while three officers sustained injuries.
Kumasi Mayor Richard Ofori Agyemang Boadi described the incident as unfortunate, insisting that the Assembly would not abandon its efforts to reclaim waterways and protect residents from flooding.
“Our intention is to clear them and then desilt the place. Some of our vehicles have been vandalised. We have lost one pick-up in the process, an excavator was vandalised, and about three or four of our officers were injured.
“There’s no way I will sit down for illegality to prevail. We will repair the damaged equipment and put it back to work,” the Mayor said.
Mr. Boadi further disclosed that the injured officers would receive medical attention after the necessary police documentation had been completed.
Meanwhile, some of the affected residents defended their occupation of the land, arguing that they had acquired the plots through legitimate means and were caught off guard by the demolition exercise.
“We paid money before they gave us the land. Nobody was living here when we moved to this place. The place was only occupied by thieves. We were not given prior notice to vacate the place,” one resident told journalists.
Another resident appealed to the authorities to consider the plight of those displaced by the exercise.
“Where do I go from here? Do we sleep outside?” the resident asked.
The KMA has maintained that the demolition forms part of a broader campaign to remove structures obstructing major drains and waterways in an effort to mitigate flooding across the Kumasi metropolis.
