Passengers travelling through the Accra International Airport (AIA) are reportedly being prevented from carrying Aboniki Balm through pre-boarding security screening.
According to policy analyst Bright Simons, the restriction is reportedly because the popular balm is considered “hot” by Aviation Security officials at the airport.
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He questioned the basis for the restriction, especially since Aboniki is a widely used as a non-prescription medicine and airport screening guidelines generally allow medicines in reasonable quantities.
“Aviation Security at Accra (formerly Kotoka) International Airport apparently won't allow travelers to take Aboniki Balm through pre-boarding screening. Why? My understanding is that this is because the balm is ‘hot’,” he posted on X.
Simons said it was unclear what “hot” meant in terms of aviation security, questioning whether the same reasoning could apply to other products such as shito or Tabasco sauce.
He also pointed out that Aboniki is a medicine and is commonly used by many Ghanaians, including older people.
“Thing, though, is: Aboniki is a MEDICINE. A non-prescription medicine, for sure, but a medicine all the same. A very popular one,” he continued.
He said the reported restriction raises questions about how airport security rules are interpreted and applied by frontline officers.
Simons noted that passengers are restricted from taking certain liquids from outside the airport, while similar products bought from duty-free shops can be taken onboard under specific security arrangements.
He said such differences show the complexity of airport security rules and the discretion involved in their enforcement.
Simons added that he had not found any specific notice from the Ghana Airports Company Limited banning Aboniki from being carried through security.
He therefore questioned whether the reported restriction could be the result of security officers applying the rules too strictly.
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“Seeing as I can't find a specific notice against aboniki, could this be a case of overzealous frontline security operatives?” he asked.
Read his post below:
I learnt something fascinating this week: Aviation Security at Accra (formerly Kotoka) International Airport apparently won't allow travelers to take Aboniki Balm through pre-boarding screening. Why? My understanding is that this is because the balm is "hot". "Hot" is not one of the characteristics of "hazards to aviation safety" most of us are familiar with. Maybe "corrosive"? "Inflammable"? "Toxic"? But "hot"? Probably means a tub of shito below 100 milliliters won't be allowed either? Or tabasco sauce? Thing, though, is: Aboniki is a MEDICINE. A non-prescription medicine, for sure, but a medicine all the same. A very popular one. I hear that many of our spry oldies swear by the balm. And the official screening lists of the Ghana Airport Company Limited (GACL) more or less clears most medicines in reasonable quantities. So, who is scared of Aboniki? I concede that the whole apparatus of airport security screening around the world has become a mess of contradictions. You won't be allowed to bring in a bottle of water but if you go into a duty-free shop and buy bottleS of whisky, they will put them in some supposedly "secure" bag and allow you to take it onboard because, wait for it, the retailer has been "pre-screened". If you bring normal alcohol from outside, no way. But if you have it in a clinical container with some labels talking about antiseptic use, then fine. It is medical. So, is the alcohol a problem for the plane or what? And so on and so forth. The complexities of the rules naturally mean significant discretion on the part of the security operatives. Seeing as I can't find a specific notice against aboniki, could this be a case of overzealous frontline security operatives?
— Bright Simons (@BBSimons) October 5, 2026 MAG/VPO Inside Ghana’s Abandoned Engineering Powerhouse: What Went Wrong? Source: www.ghanaweb.com