Richard Sumah, Deputy General Secretary of the United Party, has called for Kotoka International Airport to be renamed Ghana International Airport, arguing that national institutions should not bear names linked to political transitions or historical controversies.

Speaking on GHOne Today on GHOne TV with Serwaa Amihere on Monday, December 22, Sumah stressed that the naming of public institutions should not be “coterminous with any government that is in power,” adding that frequent changes tied to political regimes undermine national unity.

According to him, retaining the name Kotoka at Ghana’s main international gateway disregards the country’s history surrounding the overthrow of Ghana’s first President, Dr Kwame Nkrumah, which he described as a major setback to national development.

“We all know the role Kotoka played. The moment they overthrew Kwame Nkrumah is the bane of why we are still not making sufficient progress as a country,” Sumah said, insisting that such a name should not remain at the nation’s major entry point.

He appealed to Members of Parliament on the programme to consider introducing a private member’s bill to effect the change, proposing a neutral and inclusive name, Ghana International Airport—without attaching it to any individual.

Sumah emphasized that a simple, non-political name would reflect national identity and prevent future disputes over institutional renaming.