Some residents of Kadjebi in the Oti Region have strongly opposed the reported move to rename the Kotoka International Airport to Accra International Airport, describing it as unnecessary, divisive and misplaced in the face of more pressing national concerns.

The residents, who spoke to the Ghana News Agency (GNA) in separate interviews, questioned the rationale behind the proposed renaming and wondered whether it formed part of the development priorities promised by the Mahama-led Government.

George Asamoah, a resident of Cocoa Market, a suburb of Kadjebi, said he was yet to understand the motivation for the proposed change, noting that the Kotoka International Airport had gained global recognition over the years.

He said in many parts of the world, key national infrastructure was named after prominent citizens who had contributed significantly to their countries’ history, saying Ghana should not be an exception.

“The name Kotoka International Airport is known worldwide. I don’t see why it should be changed now. The government should focus on roads, jobs and healthcare instead,” Asamoah said, and appealed to the authorities to maintain the current name.

Delight Akporsoe, a resident of Akporsor Kordzi, also shared similar sentiments and urged the government to reconsider the move, and questioned whether the decision was influenced by ethnic considerations.

She said any decision that could be perceived as ethnically motivated, had the potential to create unnecessary tension and should be avoided.

“This issue has ethnic consequences and must stop. We should be promoting unity, not actions that divide us,” she stated.

Mabel Ahiakonu, a seamstress at Martin Kordzi, did not mince words and expressed concern over what she described as the marginalisation of a particular ethnic group, saying she said she was yet to hear any convincing explanation for the proposed renaming.

She said Lieutenant General Emmanuel Kwasi Kotoka played a significant role in Ghana’s political history and deserved to be honoured rather than erased.

“Lt. Gen. Kotoka fought for Ghana and his name should not be wiped away from our history,” Ahiakonu said.

The residents collectively called on the government to engage the public and provide clear justification for the proposed renaming, stressing that national symbols and monuments should be handled with sensitivity and broad consensus.

They appealed for calm dialogue and urged leaders to focus on policies and projects that would directly improve the livelihoods of Ghanaians across the country.

The airport was originally opened in 1958 as Accra International Airport and was renamed in 1969 in honour of Lieutenant General Emmanuel Kwasi Kotoka.

The proposal to revert to the original name was announced by the Majority Leader in Parliament, Mahama Ayariga, and has since generated public debate across the country.