February 26, 2025
To the Honourable Members of Parliament
The Parliament House of Ghana
Osu-Klotey, Accra
Ghana
Subject: An Open Letter Demanding the Immediate Renaming of Kotoka International Airport
Honourable Speaker and Esteemed Members of Parliament,
I write to you today with a heart burdened by sorrow and a spirit ignited by an unwavering resolve—a resolve that stems from decades of collective anguish and betrayal. For 59 long years, our nation has suffered under the weight of a name that mocks our dignity and commemorates a dark chapter in our history. Kotoka International Airport, our nation’s gateway to the world, is indelibly stained by the legacy of a coup d’état on February 24, 1966—a day when our sovereignty was savagely undermined, and our dreams were callously shattered.
That fateful coup did more than topple a visionary leader; it unleashed a cascade of calamities that have since ravaged our society. Our environment, once our pride and the very foundation of our sustenance, now bears the scars of rampant illegal mining—galamsey—that has poisoned our rivers and decimated our farmlands. But the repercussions extend far beyond nature’s ruin. This act of treachery has precipitated the crumbling of our healthcare system, leaving our hospitals dilapidated and our citizens, particularly the most vulnerable, bereft of the care they so desperately need. In a nation once renowned for its potential, the collapse of our health infrastructure stands as a grim testament to the mismanagement and neglect that have become the norm.
Moreover, the economic fallout from that first betrayal has been both relentless and unforgiving. As our nation’s wealth has been siphoned away, our most valuable assets have been sold off to foreign conglomerates, stripping us of our autonomy and leaving us dependent on interests that care little for the welfare of Ghana. The sale of these national assets is not merely an economic transaction—it is an act of profound national humiliation, a stark reminder that our resources, the very lifeblood of our country, are being bartered away as if they were mere trinkets.
Honourable Members, every time a plane lands at this airport, it brings with it the bitter reminder of that dark day—a day when our hopes were betrayed and our future mortgaged. How can we, as a proud nation, continue to greet the world through a portal that bears the name of a man whose actions plunged Ghana into despair? The name Kotoka has become a symbol of the corruption, the misdirected policies, and the systemic decay that have left our youth unemployed, our healthcare in ruins, and our national treasures for sale to the highest bidder.
I call upon you, the custodians of our nation’s destiny, to act with the urgency and moral fortitude this crisis demands. Renaming Kotoka International Airport is far more than a change of nomenclature—it is a clarion call for national healing and renewal. It is an act of defiance against a legacy of betrayal, a repudiation of the policies that have rendered our environment toxic, our healthcare system crumbling, and our national assets vulnerable to foreign exploitation.
In support of this urgent plea, I urge you to consider the petition titled “Rename Kotoka International Airport: End the Glorification of Betrayal in Ghana” (https://chng.it/XzRLscFTLJ), which embodies the collective outcry of a people who refuse to accept this disgrace any longer.
Let this decisive act mark the beginning of a new chapter in Ghana’s history—a chapter in which our gateway is reborn as a symbol of hope, resilience, and the unyielding spirit of our people. It is time to reclaim our dignity, to heal our nation’s wounds, and to ensure that the legacy of betrayal is replaced with the promise of a future defined by justice, prosperity, and unwavering national pride.
Yours in solemn hope,
Shangox