Kumasi railway workers face eviction as assembly moves to clear Adum bungalows
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Retired and serving railway workers occupying bungalows on railway land at Adum in Kumasi have been given three months to vacate, prompting residents to demand clarity on who owns the land.
Retired and serving railway workers living in bungalows on railway land at Adum in Kumasi are facing eviction after notices giving occupants three months to vacate were posted on their homes, MyJoyOnline has reported.
The notices, painted in red and carrying the insignia of the Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly (KMA), were seen on aged bungalows and newer wooden structures in the enclave. Some residents say they have lived there for more than 30 years. The Adum railway enclave housed workers of the then Ghana Railway Corporation, now the Ghana Railway Company Limited, and still accommodates both active staff and pensioners who raised families there.
Speaking at a press conference, former Principal Sales Officer of the Ghana Railway Company Emmanuel Quani Mensah said the notice had thrown the community into distress, noting that many occupants gave the best part of their working lives to the railway sector. He said some pensioners who retired more than ten years ago are still on the premises because their retirement benefits have not been fully paid, and argued that they should be paid before being asked to leave.
Residents also questioned why they were being asked to vacate railway property when the Ghana Railway Development Authority has repeatedly stated that railway lands and buildings are state assets that are not for sale. They said their own findings suggest the land has been acquired by a private developer, and called on the authorities to clarify the ownership status of the Adum railway land and halt any private takeover.
Kumasi mayor Richard Ofori Agyemang Boadi confirmed that the assembly plans to carry out an evacuation exercise but dismissed speculation that the land had been sold, saying it was not possible for the assembly to sell an asset belonging to another state institution. He said the decision followed a recent fire in the enclave that exposed how difficult it is for emergency services to reach the area, and that the assembly had been technically advised to create access routes.
The mayor urged occupants to vacate voluntarily before the deadline expires, warning that the assembly would be compelled to forcibly evict them if they do not comply.