Dr Elikplim Kwabla Apetorgbor, Volta Regional Commissioner to the National Development Planning Commission (NDPC) has described the proposal to rename the Kotoka International Airport as a misplaced policy priority.
Mr Mahama Ayariga, Majority Leader and Leader of Government Business in Parliament through the Ministry of Transport is set to introduce a bill in Parliament, seeking to rename Kotoka International Airport as Accra International Airport.
Dr Apetorgbor, in a release copied to the Ghana News Agency (GNA), disclosed that “as Volta Regional Commissioner to the National Development Planning Commission, I must state, clearly and firmly that this proposal represents a misplaced policy priority and must be resisted in the national interest”.
He said his travels across different regions of the world and passing through many international airports showed a consistent global practice which is evident in airports often named after individuals, statesmen, reformers and heroic citizens not as casual symbolism but to reflect history, identity and national purpose.
The Volta Regional Commissioner of NDPC said the names had not hindered efficiency, competitiveness or global recognition adding that “on the contrary, they coexist seamlessly with world-class performance”.
He said international airports were not mere symbols but strategic economic assets with a value determined by efficiency, safety, connectivity, cost competitiveness, cargo capacity and the ability to attract airlines, trade, tourism and investment.
“A change in name does not improve operational performance, reduce costs, expand routes or increase passenger or cargo volumes. It delivers no measurable economic benefit”.
Dr Apetorgbor said the unavoidable policy question therefore remained what national problem does the renaming solve?
He added that at a time of fiscal strain, rising public debt and intense pressure on public investment, the absence of any clearly defined economic, operational or financial justification made the proposal deeply concerning.
The Volta Regional Commissioner of NDPC said renaming a major international airport was not cost-free but required parliamentary time, administrative capacity and rebranding and system update expenses across global aviation, logistics and digital platforms.
He said every cedi and every unit of institutional focus devoted to symbolic change was capacity diverted from urgent priorities, improving safety systems, passenger experience, cargo handling and positioning Accra as a competitive regional aviation hub.
Dr Apetorgbor said the Kotoka International Airport was already firmly embedded in international aviation systems and added that “stability and predictability are assets in global air transport”.
He said many countries deliberately retained long-established airport names while directing reform energy toward efficiency, service quality and commercial competitiveness which Ghana should do same.
The Volta Regional Commissioner of NDPC noted that the proposal also raised a wider governance concern because public confidence was strengthened when government action was clearly aligned with national development priorities and sequenced according to urgency and impact.
“When initiatives of limited apparent economic value are advanced amid far more pressing national challenges, citizens are right to question the seriousness of our policy focus”.
He said Ghana’s aviation sector required reforms that mattered lower operating costs, improved efficiency, expanded cargo and logistics capacity, and a coherent strategy to position Accra as a true West African hub.
The Volta Regional Commissioner of NDPC noted that they were the interventions that generated growth, jobs, and foreign exchange not “cosmetic renaming exercises”.
He called on the Volta Caucus in Parliament, Volta Region House of Chiefs, Volta-based Diaspora organisations, and all Voltarians at home and abroad to “fiercely reject this needless proposal”.
Dr Apetorgbor also urged the wider Ghanaian public to insist on policy discipline and economic seriousness adding that national development was driven by performance, competitiveness and results not by changes in designation.
“Ghana cannot afford distractions. This proposal must be firmly rejected, so that national attention remains focused on economic recovery and sustainable growth”.
GNA
The post Renaming of Kotoka Airport is a misplaced priority –Elikplim appeared first on The Ghanaian Chronicle.
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