Democracy Hub And CPP Sue To Remove Kotoka’s Name From International Airport In Accra
- Democracy Hub and the Convention People’s Party have sued at the Supreme Court to remove “Kotoka” from the country’s International airport
- The airport is named after Lieutenant-General Emmanuel Kwasi Kotoka, a key figure in the 1966 coup d’état that overthrew Kwame Nkrumah
- The two parties advocated for renaming the airport to reaffirm Ghana’s commitment to democratic governance
Democracy Hub and the Convention People’s Party have sued at the Supreme Court to remove “Kotoka” from the country’s International airport.
They contend that honouring Lieutenant-General Emmanuel Kwasi Kotoka, a key figure in the 1966 coup d’état that overthrew President Kwame Nkrumah’s government, contradicts Ghana’s democratic values.
Source: Getty Images
In a statement, Democracy Hub asserted that retaining Kotoka’s name on a national monument signifies state endorsement of unconstitutional actions.
In a statement to YEN.com.gh, Democracy Hub said renaming the airport would reaffirm Ghana’s commitment to democratic governance.
“For 59 years, Ghana has lived with the contradiction of denouncing coups while honouring one of the architects of the first military overthrow of an elected government.
“It is time for Ghana to make a clear statement that it stands against unconstitutional rule, not just in rhetoric but in practice.”
Lieutenant General Emmanuel Kwasi Kotoka was a Ghanaian military officer instrumental in the 24 February 1966 coup d’état that overthrew President Kwame Nkrumah’s government.
About Kotoka and his coup
Kotoka rose to become the Second-in-Command and in 1959 became the Platoon Commander with the rank of Captain.
In 1965, the then Lieutenant-Colonel Kotoka was transferred to Kumasi where he met and became friends with then Major Akwasi Amankwa Afrifa, an officer in the Second Brigade of the Ghana army.
The two are generally credited with being among the key conspirators behind the first bloody coup d'état in Ghana on February 24, 1966, which brought an end to the first republic. They codenamed it "Operation Cold Chop".
Source: Getty Images
It was Kotoka who announced the coup to the nation early that morning from the Broadcasting House of the Ghana Broadcasting Corporation, the official radio station in Ghana.
On 17 April 1967, there was an abortive coup attempt involving junior officers of the reconnaissance regiment located at Ho in the Volta Region which led to the killing of Kotoka by Lt. Moses Yeboah after heavy fighting.
The Ghana International Airport was renamed Kotoka International Airport in his memory.
He was killed at a spot which is now part of the forecourt of the airport and his statue stands at that point.
Mahama pledges to reverse renaming
YEN.com.gh reported that John Mahama pledged to undo university name changes done by Akufo-Addo.
He said the new names do not reflect the core mandates of the universities and thus must be changed to realign them.
The Akufo-Addo administration had renamed several universities in an attempt to honour certain figures the administration believed were key to Ghana's democracy.
Some public universities that have undergone name changes include the Navrongo campus of the University of Professional Studies (UDS), which was renamed C.K. Tedam, and the Wa campus of the same university, which was named after S.D. Dombo.
Proofread by Samuel Gitonga, Copy Editor at YEN.com.gh
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Source: YEN.com.gh
