A demolition exercise by the Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly (KMA) at an illegal settlement behind COCOBOD at Asafo turned violent on Thursday after squatters attacked assembly officials and security personnel with stones and sticks.
The operation, led by Kumasi Mayor Richard Ofori Agyemang Boadi, targeted what authorities describe as one of the city’s notorious hubs for drug trafficking and prostitution.
The area has also been identified as a flood-prone zone, with illegal structures blamed for obstructing the flow of the Subin River and increasing the risk of flooding in Asafo Market and surrounding communities.
Despite the presence of heavily armed security personnel, the demolition team was met with fierce resistance from some squatters, who allegedly hurled stones and wielded sticks against officials.
Several KMA vehicles were damaged during the clashes, while some personnel sustained injuries.
The Assembly has since lodged a formal complaint with the Railway Police over the incident.
Speaking to EIB News’ Ashanti Regional Correspondent, Isaac Justice Bediako, Mayor Richard Ofori Agyemang Boadi said the violence would not deter the Assembly from continuing the exercise.
“Illegal squatters cannot threaten or stop me from doing the right thing,” the Mayor stated, adding that the demolition exercise would resume tomorrow.
According to him, the illegal settlement poses a significant security and environmental threat to Kumasi.
“The presence of the squatters there is a security threat to Kumasi. They are engaged in drug trafficking and prostitution, while polluting the Subin River and engaging in other criminal activities. The time to act is now, and their actions cannot intimidate me,” he said.
The demolition forms part of KMA’s ongoing sanitation and decongestion campaign aimed at enforcing local sanitation by-laws and improving environmental conditions across the Kumasi Metropolis.
In recent weeks, the Assembly has intensified enforcement efforts, leading to the arrest and prosecution of several individuals for violating sanitation regulations. While some offenders have been fined by the courts, others have received custodial sentences.
The latest exercise comes ahead of the two-day national sanitation campaign declared by President John Dramani Mahama.
Ashanti Regional Minister Dr. Frank Amoakohene has announced the region’s readiness to participate fully in the nationwide exercise and has urged residents to actively support efforts to keep Kumasi clean.
He noted that corporate organisations and private individuals have already begun donating materials to support the sanitation campaign, underscoring the growing public commitment to improving environmental cleanliness in the Ashanti Region.
Source: Starrfm.com.gh/Isaac Justice Bediako
