A Plus Calls for Posthumous Prosecution of General Kotoka, Labels Him Enemy of State
- Gomoa Central MP A Plus has backed the government’s decision to rename Kotoka International Airport
- He said the airport’s current name represents a painful chapter in Ghana’s history
- A Plus called for the posthumous prosecution of Kotoka, labelling him an enemy of the state
The Member of Parliament for Gomoa Central, Kwame Asare Obeng, popularly known as A Plus, has expressed his delight over the government's decision to rename Kotoka International Airport (KIA).
On Tuesday, the Majority Leader, Mahama Ayariga, announced that the Transport Ministry would submit a new bill seeking to rename KIA to Accra International Airport for parliamentary consideration.
Source: Facebook
Reacting in an interview with content creators, A Plus opined that the current name of the airport represents a painful chapter in Ghana's history.
"It's disgraceful, and I'm excited that His Excellency the president has changed the name from Kotoka to reflect the person who actually built the airport... Even though it's not Kwame Nkrumah International Airport, it's still back to Accra International Airport. I think it's the best thing," he said.
The airport was named after Emmanuel Kwasi Kotoka, one of the key figures involved in the 1966 coup that overthrew Ghana's first president, Dr Kwame Nkrumah.
According to the Gomoa Central MP, Kotoka's actions disrupted the transformative path that Ghana was on under Dr Nkrumah.
He consequently described him as an enemy of the state and demanded his posthumous prosecution.
"Apart from the name change, Kotoka must be prosecuted even in his death. Kotoka is the main reason why we are where we are today. He has to be treated as an enemy of this state. Anybody who overthrew Kwame Nkrumah destroyed the destiny of a whole country," he further stated.
"He changed everything that we had planned as a country. Industrialisation, the vision that Nkrumah had, these guys allowed themselves to be used to destroy the destiny of even people who were not born. Anybody who is suffering today is because of what Kotoka did," he said.
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Why does government want to rename KIA?
Mahama Ayariga indicated that the proposed renaming of KIA was part of the outlined bills and regulations expected to come before the house during the current meeting.
The proposed renaming follows years of advocacy by sections of the public and civil society groups, who argue that the current name does not reflect Ghana’s democratic values.
Democracy Hub and the Convention People’s Party had sued at the Supreme Court to remove 'Kotoka' from the name of the airport, arguing that honouring the military officer contradicted the country's democratic values.
Source: Facebook
Afenyo-Markin and Nkrumah 'clash' over KIA renaming
Meanwhile, YEN.com.gh reported that the proposed KIA renaming had sparked mixed reactions, with New Patriotic Party politicians expressing opposing views.
The Minority Leader, Alexander Afenyo-Markin, claimed its was a bad idea.
However, the MP for Ofoase Ayirebi, Kojo Oppong Nkrumah, described the KIA renaming as a good idea and a step in the right direction.
Source: YEN.com.gh
