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<p>A Ghanaian citizen, Steven Odarteifio, has renewed calls for the renaming of Kotoka International Airport, insisting that the country’s main international gateway must reflect democratic values and national pride, not what he describes as a legacy of military intervention.</p>
<p>Speaking at the launch of an advocacy campaign in Accra, Odarteifio questioned why Ghana’s premier airport continues to bear the name of Lieutenant General Emmanuel Kwasi Kotoka, a leading figure in the 1966 coup that overthrew Ghana’s first President, Dr Kwame Nkrumah. He argued that the choice of name sends a troubling signal about the values the country projects.</p>
<p>“The airport is Ghana’s first point of contact with the world,” Odarteifio said, stressing that it should represent constitutional rule and democratic ideals rather than commemorate a coup leader. According to him, “we cannot claim to celebrate democracy while honouring those who disrupted it.”</p>
<p>He noted that although Ghana has made significant democratic progress over the years, the continued use of the name Kotoka remains a painful reminder of an era marked by the overthrow of an elected government. “National symbols must inspire unity, not reopen old wounds,” he added.</p>
<p>As an alternative, Odarteifio proposed renaming the facility after Dr Kwame Nkrumah, saying the founding President represents freedom, independence and African self-determination. He maintained that such a move would better align the airport with figures who “embody what Ghana stands for today.”</p>
<p>The campaign has once again stirred public debate over how Ghana remembers its past, particularly whether individuals associated with military coups should continue to be honoured through major national landmarks.</p>";s:11:"category_id";s:1:"8";s:8:"image_id";s:3:"197";s:12:"optional_url";N;s:9:"pageviews";s:1:"1";s:13:"comment_count";s:1:"0";s:9:"need_auth";s:1:"0";s:12:"slider_order";s:1:"1";s:14:"featured_order";s:1:"1";s:12:"is_scheduled";s:1:"0";s:10:"visibility";s:1:"1";s:17:"show_right_column";s:1:"1";s:9:"post_type";s:7:"article";s:10:"video_path";N;s:13:"video_storage";s:5:"local";s:9:"image_url";N;s:9:"video_url";N;s:16:"video_embed_code";N;s:7:"user_id";s:1:"3";s:6:"status";s:1:"1";s:7:"feed_id";N;s:8:"post_url";N;s:13:"show_post_url";s:1:"0";s:17:"image_description";s:37:"A concerned citizen, Steven Odarteifo";s:17:"show_item_numbers";s:1:"0";s:14:"is_poll_public";s:1:"1";s:15:"link_list_style";s:156:"a:3:{i:1;a:2:{s:5:"style";s:4:"none";s:6:"status";i:0;}i:2;a:2:{s:5:"style";s:4:"none";s:6:"status";i:0;}i:3;a:2:{s:5:"style";s:4:"none";s:6:"status";i:0;}}";s:11:"recipe_info";N;s:9:"post_data";N;s:10:"updated_at";N;s:10:"created_at";s:19:"2026-01-20 11:14:09";s:10:"image_data";s:337:"img_bg::uploads/images/202601/image_870x580_696f5aedb2338.jpg||img_df::uploads/images/202601/image_870x_696f5aedb8bbc.jpg||img_sl::uploads/images/202601/image_694x532_696f5aedc047a.jpg||img_md::uploads/images/202601/image_430x256_696f5aedc5b21.jpg||img_sm::uploads/images/202601/image_140x98_696f5aedc83db.jpg||img_mi::jpg||img_st::local";s:13:"category_name";s:7:"Opinion";s:13:"category_slug";s:7:"opinion";s:14:"category_color";s:7:"#455a64";s:15:"author_username";s:12:"Hilda Appiah";s:11:"author_slug";s:12:"hilda-appiah";s:15:"lang_short_form";s:2:"en";}i:1;O:8:"stdClass":45:{s:2:"id";s:2:"76";s:7:"lang_id";s:1:"1";s:5:"title";s:41:"Is love stronger when tested by distance?";s:4:"slug";s:40:"is-love-stronger-when-tested-by-distance";s:10:"title_hash";N;s:8:"keywords";N;s:7:"summary";N;s:7:"content";N;s:11:"category_id";s:1:"8";s:8:"image_id";s:3:"107";s:12:"optional_url";N;s:9:"pageviews";s:2:"32";s:13:"comment_count";s:1:"2";s:9:"need_auth";s:1:"0";s:12:"slider_order";s:1:"1";s:14:"featured_order";s:1:"1";s:12:"is_scheduled";s:1:"0";s:10:"visibility";s:1:"1";s:17:"show_right_column";s:1:"1";s:9:"post_type";s:4:"poll";s:10:"video_path";N;s:13:"video_storage";s:5:"local";s:9:"image_url";N;s:9:"video_url";N;s:16:"video_embed_code";N;s:7:"user_id";s:1:"2";s:6:"status";s:1:"1";s:7:"feed_id";N;s:8:"post_url";N;s:13:"show_post_url";s:1:"0";s:17:"image_description";N;s:17:"show_item_numbers";s:1:"0";s:14:"is_poll_public";s:1:"1";s:15:"link_list_style";s:156:"a:3:{i:1;a:2:{s:5:"style";s:4:"none";s:6:"status";i:0;}i:2;a:2:{s:5:"style";s:4:"none";s:6:"status";i:0;}i:3;a:2:{s:5:"style";s:4:"none";s:6:"status";i:0;}}";s:11:"recipe_info";N;s:9:"post_data";N;s:10:"updated_at";N;s:10:"created_at";s:19:"2026-01-08 19:21:23";s:10:"image_data";s:337:"img_bg::uploads/images/202601/image_870x580_696003965dd82.jpg||img_df::uploads/images/202601/image_870x_696003967638a.jpg||img_sl::uploads/images/202601/image_694x532_696003968c330.jpg||img_md::uploads/images/202601/image_430x256_696003969b600.jpg||img_sm::uploads/images/202601/image_140x98_69600396ad3cf.jpg||img_mi::jpg||img_st::local";s:13:"category_name";s:7:"Opinion";s:13:"category_slug";s:7:"opinion";s:14:"category_color";s:7:"#455a64";s:15:"author_username";s:6:"samuet";s:11:"author_slug";s:6:"samuet";s:15:"lang_short_form";s:2:"en";}}}