Kumasi Mayor Declares War on School Land Encroachers, Orders Immediate Evictions
In a bold and uncompromising move to protect the sanctity and purpose of public school lands, the Metropolitan Chief Executive (MCE) for Kumasi, Hon. Richard Ofori-Agyeman Boadi, has declared a full-scale crackdown on all individuals and entities illegally occupying lands designated for educational purposes.
The Mayor, deeply alarmed by the shocking level of encroachment on several school premises, has issued an immediate directive for the eviction of all squatters and unauthorized occupants from public school lands within the metropolis.
This stern order was made public following the Mayor’s ongoing inspection tour of public basic schools, which commenced on Tuesday, July 30, 2025. The tour is aimed at assessing the condition of schools, improving academic environments, and interacting with teachers and school authorities.
However, what was expected to be a routine inspection turned into a disturbing discovery, as the Mayor and his team were met with scenes of rampant encroachment at nearly every school they visited. These illegal activities ranged from residential squatting and petty trading to mechanic workshops, religious gatherings, and even drug peddling occurring directly on or near school premises.
“We will not allow our schools to be turned into slums and marketplaces,” a visibly disturbed Hon. Agyeman Boadi stated during an impromptu press briefing. “School lands are meant for teaching and learning, not for cargo stations, worship centers, or mechanic shops. This nonsense must stop, and it stops now.”
The Mayor cited grave concerns over security, sanitation, noise pollution, and moral hazards stemming from the activities of encroachers as critical reasons for the drastic intervention. He emphasized that these unlawful occupations have severely disrupted the teaching and learning environment, with some schools reporting difficulties in maintaining discipline and concentration due to loud music, open defecation, and persistent trespassing by unauthorized persons.
As part of the enforcement strategy, the Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly (KMA) has deployed a task force comprising officers from the National Disaster Management Organization (NADMO), Physical Planning Department, and the Works Department to swiftly carry out the evictions and reclaim the lands.
Accompanying the Mayor on his tour were Mr. Francis Dwira Darko, Metro Coordinating Director; Mr. David Oppong, Metro Director of Education; and other key officials from the Assembly and the Ghana Education Service (GES).
Some of the schools visited during the tour included:
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 every stop, the Mayor engaged with assembly members, headteachers, teachers, and local education officers, listening to their grievances and assuring them of swift government intervention.
In a joint statement, school heads and GES officials commended the Mayor for taking such a decisive step, noting that the encroachment problem has been neglected for far too long, compromising both the physical space and the moral climate of schools.
The Assembly has also issued a public notice warning all encroachers — including religious institutions, traders, squatters, and workshop operators — to vacate school lands immediately or face forceful eviction without compensation.
As the city braces for a sweeping exercise to reclaim public school properties, Hon. Agyeman Boadi affirmed his administration’s unwavering commitment to safeguarding education infrastructure, saying: “This city belongs to all of us, and our children deserve a safe and quiet environment to learn. We will not stand by while selfish interests destroy their future.”
The move has already begun generating support among parents, education stakeholders, and community leaders, with many calling for the strict prosecution of repeat offenders to deter future encroachments.
