Government has announced plans to rename of Ghana’s main airport
A Ghanaian historian has weighed in on the growing debate over calls to rename Kotoka International Airport, urging the public to approach the matter with historical objectivity rather than partisan emotions.
Speaking on Accra-based Channel One TV, Kwaku Darko-Ankrah stressed that discussions about renaming national monuments must be anchored in historical context to avoid political polarisation.
He explained that the airport was named after Lieutenant General Emmanuel Kwasi Kotoka following his death during an attempted coup in 1967.
Kotoka was a key member of the National Liberation Council (NLC), the military government that overthrew Ghana’s first President, Kwame Nkrumah, in February 1966.
Kotoka International Airport to be changed to Accra International Airport
The NLC administration later established a trust to immortalise Kotoka’s memory and to support families of soldiers who died during the insurrection that toppled Nkrumah’s government.
The historian noted that while some Ghanaians regard Kotoka as a liberator, others see him as a central figure in a military coup that interrupted Ghana’s constitutional rule. Because of this divided opinion, he argued that monuments bearing his name may not necessarily promote national cohesion.
“In matters like this, we must ask whether such monuments unite us or deepen divisions,” he indicated.
He cited the fierce public opposition to attempts to rename the University of Ghana after Joseph Boakye Danquah, compared to the relatively smoother renaming of the University of Science and Technology to Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology.
Kwaku Darko-Ankrah suggested that reverting the airport to its original name, Accra International Airport, could reduce political sensitivities and reflect a more neutral national identity.
He also referenced international examples where countries have renamed public monuments to reflect contemporary values and evolving historical understanding.
The debate over the airport’s name continues to generate mixed reactions, with some calling for historical justice and others insisting on preserving the status quo.
Watch as fuel tanker catches fire after accident on Nsawam Accra-Road
PAH/MA
Source:
www.ghanaweb.com