By Sarah Baafi
The Director of Communications for the United Party (UP), Solomon Owusu, has reignited the debate over Ghana’s national monuments, insisting that the continued use of the name Kotoka for the country’s main international airport undermines Ghana’s democratic and liberation history.
Speaking on TV3’s New Day, Mr. Owusu argued that Lt. Gen. Emmanuel Kwasi Kotoka’s only notable legacy was his role in the 1966 coup that overthrew Ghana’s first President, Dr. Kwame Nkrumah, and therefore does not merit national honour.
“What monumental achievement did Kotoka accomplish apart from overthrowing Dr. Kwame Nkrumah?” he questioned. “If that is considered an achievement, then you must be coming from a different world.”
His comments follow renewed public discourse on historical memory, national identity, and the legacy of military interventions in Ghana’s political history, with calls growing louder for the renaming of state institutions to reflect democratic and liberation ideals. Public opinion is divided, with some backing the proposal while others reject it outright.
Mr. Owusu said the name Kotoka International Airport presents a troubling contradiction, particularly for tourists who visit Ghana because of Kwame Nkrumah’s global legacy as a leading Pan-Africanist and freedom fighter.
He noted that Nkrumah remains one of the few prominent Africans honoured at the Union Building in Washington, attracting visitors who come to Ghana to learn about his life and contributions.
“Imagine a tourist who comes here because of their love for Kwame Nkrumah, lands at Kotoka International Airport, reads the history, and discovers that Kotoka was the man who overthrew Nkrumah. Then we are effectively rewarding someone who curtailed our progress,” he said.
According to Mr. Owusu, such symbolism weakens Ghana’s moral authority and sends the wrong message about the values the nation upholds.
Drawing comparisons with other African countries, he cited airports named after Oliver Tambo in South Africa and Murtala Muhammed in Nigeria, describing them as figures who represent resistance, liberation, and national pride.
“These are names that remind citizens why they must fight for freedom. You don’t name national monuments after people who came to thwart progress,” he added.
Mr. Owusu extended his argument to other coup-era figures, stating that national monuments named after such leaders should also be reconsidered.
“I am not a fan of coup makers. Coup makers are regressors. They have no plan. If you have a plan, you remove your uniform and contest elections,” he said, while acknowledging Rawlings’ later transition to constitutional rule.
