Three officers of the Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly (KMA) were injured during a demolition exercise behind the COCOBOD building at Adum, near the Asafo Overpass in Kumasi, on Wednesday, July 8.
The officers were allegedly attacked by angry residents occupying makeshift structures at the site, who also vandalised Assembly vehicles and equipment during the exercise.
The incident occurred when a KMA taskforce, supported by city guards, moved to demolish structures the Assembly said had been illegally erected along waterways.
The residents, who claimed they had not been given prior notice to vacate the area, resisted the exercise, resulting in a confrontation that left three Assembly officers injured and several vehicles and equipment damaged.
Kumasi Mayor Richard Ofori Agyemang Boadi said the demolition was part of efforts to remove illegal structures obstructing waterways and to create access for the desilting of major drains ahead of the peak rainy season to reduce the risk of flooding.
He said the attack on Assembly personnel and property would not deter the KMA from carrying out measures aimed at preventing flooding and protecting public safety.
“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 added that the injured officers would receive medical treatment after police documentation of the incident had been completed.
Some of the affected residents, however, insisted they had acquired the land legitimately and were not given notice before the 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.
Another resident questioned where displaced occupants were expected to go.
“Where do I go from here? Do we sleep outside?” the resident asked.
