The proposed renaming of Kotoka International Airport (KIA) to Accra International Airport could undermine Ghana’s historical record and set a dangerous precedent for future leaders, according to Asaase Radio’s political editor, Wilberforce Asare.
Speaking on GHOne TV’s GHToday with Joshua Kodjo Mensah on Friday, February 6, 2026, the political editor of Asaase Radio expressed deep reservations regarding the “criteria” being used to justify the removal of Lieutenant General Emmanuel Kwasi Kotoka’s name from the national landmark.
Asare argued that while the physical and logistical act of renaming, switching from “KIA” to “AIA”, is a manageable task of “recalibration and reorientation,” the underlying logic poses a threat to the nation’s historical continuity.
The debate stems from the controversial nature of military coups in Ghana’s past. Asare noted that if the justification for removing Kotoka’s name is his involvement in a coup, it opens a “Pandora’s box” for other historical figures.
“The criteria that is being used, I think, will disturb our history,” Asare warned. “If that is the criteria you are using to remove Kotoka, then somebody else might come tomorrow and he will use that same criteria to remove Rawlings.”
The Political Editor highlighted the inconsistency in how different military interventions are perceived. He pointed out the irony in the “good coup vs bad coup” narrative, specifically referencing the transition of Jerry John Rawlings.
He argued that although Rawlings moved from a military ruler to a democratically elected leader, that transition “does not erase the record of the coup.” He emphasised that using military involvement as a disqualifier for national honours could lead to the systematic erasure of various leaders depending on who is in power.
Beyond the internal historical debate, Asare acknowledged the international logistics involved in such a change. Currently, the global aviation code ACC (Accra) is synonymous with Kotoka International Airport.
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“Globally too, you know the international travel things… so globally we have to do recalibration,” he explained. However, he maintained that the technical shift is secondary to the “disturbance” of Ghana’s political heritage.
Wilberforce Asare concluded with a stern caution to policymakers: “Let’s be careful.” He suggested that unless a more robust and objective framework is established, the renaming exercise may simply lead to a cycle of historical revisionism that changes with every new administration.
Source: Starrfm.com.gh/Abigail Boatemaa Baah
