Afenyo-Markin slams plan to rename kotoka international airport

The Minority Leader, Alexander Afenyo-Markin, has strongly opposed the government’s proposal to rename the Kotoka International Airport, describing the move as unnecessary and politically troubling.

His comments follow an announcement by the Majority Leader, Mahama Ayariga, that the government intends to change the name of Ghana’s main international airport from Kotoka International Airport (KIA) to Accra International Airport. The proposed change, according to Mr Ayariga, will be effected through legislation to be laid before Parliament by the Minister for Transport, Joseph Nikpe.

Reacting to the development in an interview with journalists, Mr Afenyo-Markin defended the current name of the airport and questioned the justification for removing General Emmanuel Kwasi Kotoka’s name from the facility.

“All these years, we’ve had General Kotoka’s name on the airport, and suddenly it’s being changed. The name Kotoka International Airport, Accra, is already there, so you don’t need to remove Kotoka’s name,” he said.

The Minority Leader argued that the airport’s name represents one of the few national landmarks linked to the Volta Region and warned that its removal would amount to erasing a significant symbol of regional recognition.

“How many prominent Voltarians have their names on national assets or monuments? This is the only thing the people of Volta can also see as something that recognises heroism from the Volta Region, and they’re being denied,” he stated.

Mr Afenyo-Markin noted that successive governments had retained the name over the years and accused current leaders of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), particularly those from the Volta Region, of remaining silent on the issue.

He described the proposed renaming as an indictment of the NDC and called on key party figures to publicly oppose the move.

“Majority Chief Whip Rockson-Nelson Dafeamekpor, NDC General Secretary Fifi Kwetey, Foreign Affairs Minister Okudzeto Ablakwa, First Deputy Speaker Bernard Ahiafor, they’re from Volta, they’re in government, and are watching Volta lose its pride. It’s up to them,” he said.

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