The Mayor of Kumasi, Hon. Richard Ofori-Agyeman Boadi, has issued a fiery and uncompromising directive for the immediate eviction of all squatters and unauthorized occupants from public school lands within the metropolis, following what he described as an appalling and unacceptable level of encroachment.
This decisive action comes on the back of an ongoing inspection tour of public basic schools that began on Tuesday, July 30, 2025, during which the Mayor and his team were confronted with disturbing scenes of illegal occupation, filth, and uncontrolled human activity on lands legally reserved for educational development.
Speaking to journalists at one of the affected school compounds, a visibly angry Hon. Boadi did not mince words: “I am extremely disappointed. What I have seen so far is a disgrace. School lands are being taken over by squatters, traders, and all kinds of unauthorized users. This is a direct attack on education and the future of our children, and I will not tolerate it.”
According to the Mayor, school lands across Kumasi have been infiltrated by mechanics, traders, religious groups, drug peddlers, and illegal settlers, who have turned classrooms into extensions of their homes and business sites, thereby obstructing learning, exposing children to immoral behavior, and compromising their safety.
Some of the most troubling findings included open defecation close to classrooms, noise pollution from blaring music systems during school hours, and the use of school perimeters for dangerous activities like welding and illicit drug sales.
In response, Hon. Boadi has instructed a joint enforcement task force made up of personnel from the National Disaster Management Organization (NADMO), the Physical Planning Department, and the Works Department of the Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly (KMA) to begin a city-wide operation to eject all encroachers without delay.
“We are not going to dialogue with lawbreakers. They have already broken the law by trespassing. They must move out immediately or face the full force of the law,” the Mayor warned.
He further directed the Assembly’s legal team to explore ways of pressing charges against repeat offenders and demolishing unauthorized structures erected on school lands.
During his tour, the Mayor visited the following schools:
Asem Cluster of Schools
Amankwatia Cluster of Schools
Dichemso M/A Cluster of Schools
State Boys Cluster of Schools
State Girls M/A and Junior High School
Bantama Methodist Primary School
New Bantama M/A Primary School
At each school, he was accompanied by a high-powered delegation including Mr. Francis Dwira Darko, the Metro Coordinating Director; Mr. David Oppong, Metro Director of Education; and other top officials from various departments of the Assembly.
The team interacted with headteachers, teachers, assembly members, and Ghana Education Service (GES) staff, all of whom echoed the same concern — that encroachment on school lands had reached alarming levels and required immediate and forceful intervention.
Many school heads expressed gratitude to the Mayor for taking a bold stand, revealing that their previous complaints had yielded no results.
Some even recounted physical threats from encroachers, challenges with student discipline due to nearby distractions, and sanitation issues caused by outsiders defecating and dumping waste on school premises.
In a public notice issued through the Assembly, the Kumasi Mayor is warning all encroachers — whether individuals, religious groups, or business operators — to vacate the lands immediately or be forcibly removed.
Hon. Boadi stressed that his administration remains committed to preserving the integrity of educational spaces and will use every lawful means available to reclaim and protect school lands. “This is not just about land. It is about the future of our children and the moral fabric of our society,” he added.
The city-wide eviction exercise is expected to begin in the coming days, with surveillance teams already mapping out all encroached sites for enforcement.
The action has been hailed by parents and education advocates as a timely intervention to restore discipline and order in the educational system within Ghana’s second-largest city.
