Anti-corruption campaigner Vitus Azeem has called on the government to rename the Kotoka International Airport (KIA) in honour of Ghana’s first President, Dr Kwame Nkrumah, arguing that national monuments should reflect the country’s founding history and democratic ideals.
Mr Azeem said it is historically and morally inappropriate for a major national asset to bear the name of Lieutenant General Emmanuel Kotoka, a central figure in the 1966 military coup that overthrew Nkrumah’s government.
“We need to name important state institutions and assets after people who have contributed significantly to Ghana’s development. That is why I suggest renaming the airport after Kwame Nkrumah,” Mr Azeem stated in an interview with Citi News on Tuesday, July 16.
His remarks echo recent sentiments by Cardinal Peter Turkson, who questioned Ghana’s tradition of memorialising figures linked to the toppling of democratically elected governments.
Azeem argued that changing the airport’s name would not only correct a historical oversight but also serve as a long-overdue tribute to Nkrumah’s enduring legacy.
“Nkrumah’s influence shaped not just Ghana but inspired liberation movements across Africa. We have countries like Kenya and Tanzania naming their international airports after leaders such as Jomo Kenyatta and Julius Nyerere, both of whom admired Nkrumah. Why should Ghana be any different?” he questioned.
He emphasised that the renaming process would be straightforward, especially with political will and parliamentary support.
“How many Ghanaians today even recall the 1966 coup, except that it disrupted Nkrumah’s visionary development plans? This is a matter of historical justice,” Azeem added.
Lieutenant General Emmanuel Kwasi Kotoka led the military coup that removed Dr Nkrumah from power while he was on a state visit to Hanoi. Following the coup, Kotoka became a member of the National Liberation Council (NLC), serving as Commissioner for Health and General Officer Commanding of the Ghana Armed Forces. He was killed during a failed counter-coup attempt on April 17, 1967. The then Ghana International Airport was subsequently renamed Kotoka International Airport in his honour.
Mr Azeem’s call contributes to the broader national conversation about how Ghana remembers its past, and who should be commemorated in its public spaces.
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