The Convention People’s Party (CPP), as part of marking the 55th milestone since the overthrow of the CPP government in 1966, has called on President Akufo-Addo to rename the Kotoka International Airport (KIA) after Osagyefo Dr. Kwame Nkrumah, the first President of the Republic of Ghana.

According to the party in a press statement released on February 24, 2021, the airport should not have been named after Major General Emmanuel Kwasi Kotoka who overthrew the government of Dr. Kwame Nkrumah through coup, because the actions of coup makers are a setback to development which Ghana condemns.

The statement signed by the party’s General Secretary, Nana Yaa Akyempim Jantuah said: “It is unfortunate that our main Airport of International repute is named after a coup maker (Kotoka).

“On this matter, the CPP is asking government to consider renaming the Airport after Osagyefo Dr Kwame Nkrumah to show the world that Ghana does not glorify coup-makers who always derail the agenda of development for this nation.”

Beyond the request, the party has blamed the economic challenges of the country on the 1966 coup by Major General Kotoka.

According to it, the Kotoka led National Liberation Council (NLC) introduced “neo-liberal policies towards a free market economy that brought about the killing of local industrialisation and the promotion of an import led economy which saw the influx of foreign inferior goods into the country and the derailment of our journey to economic independence.”

“They hugely relied on the IMF and the World Bank whose economic policies have since been the bane of our country,” the party said.

The CPP added that the coup is responsible for the deficiencies in the system and the misconducts of people that continue to hinder development in the country.

It said: “it marked the beginning of mass unemployment as we see it today, a hopeless health care service, lack of adequate infrastructure, an ineffective educational system, poverty, nepotism, indiscipline, corruption and the misuse of the financial and natural resources of this country.”

“It is obvious that the 24th February 1966 Coup has been the foundation of the socio-economic woes of this country,” it added.

The party calls on all to rally behind it to save the country from the hands of undemocratic rulers and to propel development in all sectors of the economy and human life.

“To all Comrades and all Ghanaians, it is time to correct the wrongs of the past by rallying behind the Convention People’s Party to resist the ‘Rule of the Oppressor’ and together forge ahead to help industrialise this nation for employment and economic development, prevent corruption and nepotism, prudently manage our financial and natural resources, create a free education system at all levels, a good health care system and hope for the youth,” the party said.