Kwaku Sintim-Misa, also known as KSM, is a well-known media figure in Ghana. He has asked that the name of Lieutenant-General Emmanuel Kwasi Kotoka be taken off of Ghana's International Airport.
He says that naming Ghana's best airport after the late coup leader is a shame for the country, even though his opinion might make a lot of people angry.
KSM made this request in a tweet on the first day of the year 2023.
The full tweet reads: ‘AT THE RISK OF ANGERING MANY, my wish is to see the name of Kotoka REMOVED from the Airport. It’s a DISGRACE to our History. HAPPY NEW YEAR’
The late Lieutenant-General Emmanuel Kwasi Kotoka was born on September 26, 1926. This is important for history. He was a member of the National Liberation Council, which took power on February 24, 1966, through a military coup d'état. Dr. Kwame Nkrumah was the first president of the Republic. This group was in charge of getting rid of him.
The airport that is there now, Kotoka International Airport, was first used by the British Royal Air Force in 1946 during World War II.
After the military successfully pulled out, the building was turned over to civilian control. In 1956, a project was started to turn the building into a terminal building. This was done because of globalization and the growing demand for air travel at the time.
After the project was done, Ghana Airways was able to use the airport as its home base in 1958.
The airport was built and put into use with the idea that it could handle up to 500,000 passengers per year. In memory of the late Lt. General E.K. Kotoka, the name of Accra International Airport was changed to Kotoka International Airport in 1969.