Renowned journalist Paul Adom Otchere has accused the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC) of using the proposal to rename Kotoka International Airport as a tool for political retribution rather than national interest.
Speaking on Joy FM’s flagship Newsfile program today, Otchere argued that the plan to rename the airport “Accra International Airport” is a post-election move aimed at settling political scores and reshaping historical narratives, particularly concerning Ghana’s first president, Dr. Kwame Nkrumah.
“What all this is about is settling political scores,” Otchere stated. “It has nothing to do with renaming an airport; it has everything to do with revisiting a major political chapter in our history.”
Otchere emphasized that the renaming, championed by the NDC-led government, was not included in the party’s campaign manifesto, suggesting it is a reactive and politically motivated decision.
“This was never mentioned in the campaign,” he said. “So this has not been a matter they considered during the campaign… it is becoming very obvious that this is about settling political scores.”
The journalist also defended the legacy of Lt. Gen. Emmanuel Kwasi Kotoka, the coup leader after whom the airport was renamed in 1969. He argued against a simplistic portrayal of historical figures as wholly “good” or “bad,” noting that Kotoka “did good things and deserves and must not be removed,” just as Nkrumah had his flaws. Otchere described Kotoka as having countered aspects of Nkrumah’s perceived despotism.
The government, however, frames the Accra International Airport Bill as a corrective measure. Proponents, including Majority Leader Mahama Ayariga, contend that naming the nation’s primary international gateway after a key figure in the 1966 coup that overthrew Nkrumah conflicts with Ghana’s democratic constitution.
