By Grace Zigah
A demolition exercise by the Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly (KMA) to clear alleged illegal structures behind the COCOBOD building at Adum turned violent on Wednesday, leaving three Assembly officers injured after angry residents reportedly attacked officials and vandalised government equipment.
The confrontation occurred at the settlement near the Asafo Overpass, where KMA officials, accompanied by city guards, had moved in to demolish makeshift structures the Assembly says were illegally erected along major waterways as part of its annual flood prevention exercise.
According to the Assembly, the operation forms part of a broader campaign to remove unauthorized structures obstructing drainage channels and to pave the way for the desilting of drains ahead of the peak rainy season, when Kumasi is often vulnerable to flooding.
However, the exercise was met with fierce resistance from occupants of the structures, who claimed they had not received any prior notice to vacate the area before the demolition commenced.
The disagreement quickly escalated into violence as residents allegedly attacked members of the demolition team, resulting in injuries to three KMA officers.
The aggrieved residents also vandalised Assembly vehicles and heavy equipment deployed for the exercise.
Speaking after the incident, Kumasi Mayor Richard Ofori Agyemang Boadi condemned the attack and insisted the Assembly would not abandon its efforts to reclaim waterways and protect lives and property 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,” the Mayor said.
“There is no way I will sit down for illegality to prevail. We will repair the damaged equipment and put it back to work,” he added.
The Mayor disclosed that the injured officers would receive medical attention after the necessary police documentation had been completed.
The latest incident comes as metropolitan, municipal and district assemblies across Ghana intensify efforts to clear unauthorized structures from waterways following repeated flooding incidents in several parts of the country, particularly during the rainy season.
Authorities have consistently argued that illegal occupation of drainage reservations and wetlands contributes significantly to urban flooding, destruction of property and, in some cases, loss of lives.
Despite the Assembly’s justification, affected residents insisted they were unfairly treated.
Some claimed they had legitimately acquired the land after making payments and therefore did not expect the sudden demolition.
“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.
Others questioned the Assembly’s failure to provide alternative accommodation or relocation plans before carrying out the exercise.
“Where do I go from here? Do we sleep outside?” another visibly distressed resident asked.
