Private citizen Samson Asaki Awingobit has petitioned President John Dramani Mahama to suspend further construction of the $1.3 billion Sentuo Airport Garden City Project in Accra until a comprehensive national security assessment is conducted.
In the petition dated Wednesday, September 23, 2026, Mr Awingobit expressed concerns about the location of the development at 10 Giffard Road in the Airport Residential Area, citing its proximity to military, defence and aviation installations.
The project, being developed by Sentuo Group, is expected to feature about 582 premium apartments, a 600-room hotel, a 2,500-capacity conference facility, healthcare facilities, a shopping mall and other commercial and recreational facilities.
Mr Awingobit said his concerns were not about the investment itself or Chinese participation in Ghana’s economy, but rather the strategic location and scale of the proposed development.
“My concern is specifically about the strategic location of this particular development and the possible national-security implications of placing a very large, high-rise, mixed-use private development in close proximity to sensitive national-security, defence and aviation infrastructure,” he said.
Calls for security assessment
The petitioner is asking the government to establish whether the Ghana Armed Forces, Ministry of Defence, National Security, Ghana Police Service, Ghana Civil Aviation Authority and other relevant institutions have undertaken a comprehensive security assessment of the project.
He wants such an assessment to examine the height and design of the proposed structures, technological infrastructure, access arrangements and their potential implications for nearby strategic installations.
Mr Awingobit has also raised questions about the management of surveillance and security systems within the development.
These include CCTV networks, security-control rooms and data infrastructure, as well as the systems that would govern access to sensitive areas and security facilities.
He is calling for appropriate oversight by Ghanaian security agencies over the security arrangements at the complex.
He also wants security personnel who may be deployed to the development to undergo the necessary vetting.
Airport security concerns
Mr Awingobit further wants the government to assess the project’s proximity to Kotoka International Airport and examine potential security scenarios that could arise from its location.
Among his key demands is an immediate suspension of further construction until an independent, multi-agency security assessment is conducted.
He proposed that the assessment involve the Ministry of Defence, Ghana Armed Forces, National Security, Ghana Police Service, Ghana Civil Aviation Authority and Ghana Airports Company Limited.
He is also seeking a strategic land-use review and a counter-surveillance assessment, alongside enhanced checks on beneficial ownership and the source of funds for the project.
Mr Awingobit further called for a review of the proposed tenancy arrangements and mechanisms for vetting future occupants of the development.
‘Not anti-China’
The petitioner stressed that his concerns should not be interpreted as opposition to Chinese investment or the Sentuo Group.
“This petition is not anti-China. It is not anti-investment. It is not an objection to foreign direct investment,” he said.
He argued that Ghana’s pursuit of economic development must be balanced with the protection of national security.
Mr Awingobit is therefore urging President Mahama to direct an immediate and comprehensive national security assessment of the project before additional construction work is undertaken.
He said addressing potential security concerns after the development has been completed could prove more difficult and costly.
