The Chief Executive Officer of Pribet Group and Ghana’s Consular to Guinea-Bissau, Prince Lamptey Tetteh, has called on the government to consider renaming the Kotoka International Airport, arguing that its current name does not reflect Ghana’s democratic values.

Speaking in an interview, Tetteh, who described himself as a concerned citizen, said Ghana has made significant progress on its democratic journey and must ensure that its national monuments project a positive image to both citizens and foreigners.

According to him, Ghana attracts visitors from across the globe, many of whom enquire about the history behind the airport’s name.

He explained that naming the country’s main airport after Lieutenant General Emmanuel Kotoka, who led a coup in 1966, presents challenges because coups brought instability rather than development.

“Our airport is one of the first things foreigners ask about. When we tell them it is named Kotoka International Airport, they want to know more. The problem is that Kotoka was a coup maker, and during his time, nothing good came to Ghana. Yet, we say democracy is the path we have chosen. Why then do we continue to glorify a coup through the name of our airport?” Tetteh questioned.

He suggested that the facility should be renamed to reflect the country’s democratic gains and to serve as a positive example for future generations.

Making reference to Ghana’s political history, Prince Tetteh said that although the late former President Jerry John Rawlings also came to power through a coup, he eventually transitioned Ghana to constitutional rule in 1992.

He lamented that the significance of December 31 as a symbol of that transition had been eroded when the New Patriotic Party (NPP) government cancelled the holiday, making it difficult for younger generations to get much information about coups and the country’s democratic journey regarding coup d'état.

“I was even expecting that when the NPP cancelled the 31st December holiday, they would also remove the name Kotoka from the airport because both are reminders of our coup past,” he added.

Tetteh urged the government and national leaders to take a second look at the issue and give Ghana’s main international gateway a name that “reflects positivity and democracy,” in line with the country’s values and aspirations.