Veteran journalist and political analyst Kwesi Pratt Jnr. has voiced strong opposition to reports that Kotoka International Airport may be renamed Accra International Airport, cautioning that such a move risks erasing an important part of Ghana’s history.
Speaking on Metro TV’s Good Morning Ghana with host Moro Awudu, Pratt questioned the rationale behind the proposal, which was reportedly announced by the Majority Leader in Parliament.
“The current name honours Lieutenant General Emmanuel Kwasi Kotoka, a significant figure in Ghana’s political history,” Pratt said. “Renaming it simply ‘Accra International Airport’ seems like an attempt to sanitize history without a clear justification.”
Pratt also highlighted the broader implications for younger Ghanaians. “What message are we sending to the next generation if we start erasing names simply because certain parts of our history make us uncomfortable?” he asked.
The controversy surrounding the airport’s name is tied to Lt. Gen. Kotoka’s role in the 1966 coup that ousted Ghana’s first President, Dr. Kwame Nkrumah. Pratt warned against what he called selective treatment of history, noting that it could lead to a chain reaction of renaming other national landmarks.
“If we begin changing names based on discomfort, where do we draw the line? This sets a dangerous precedent,” he said.
He further stressed that national institutions should reflect Ghana’s full historical narrative, adding that not every landmark located in Accra needs to carry the city’s name.