The Kwame Nkrumah Memorial Park has voiced its support for public appeals to rename Ghana’s primary international airport in honour of the country’s first president and Pan-Africanist, Osagyefo Dr. Kwame Nkrumah.
In a statement signed by the Park’s Acting Executive Director, Dr. Collins Rawlings Nunyomah, management expressed full backing for a coalition of citizens advocating for Kotoka International Airport to bear Dr. Nkrumah’s name. The Park stressed that the airport, as Ghana’s main international gateway, should reflect the nation’s core values, ideals, and historical legacy.
The statement highlighted Dr. Nkrumah’s pivotal role in Ghana’s independence, state-building, and Pan-African vision, describing him as the most appropriate figure to welcome visitors to the country.
“As Ghana’s foremost international gateway, the airport should embody the highest ideals and historical foundations of the Republic,” the statement read. It added that Dr. Nkrumah’s enduring contributions continue to shape Ghana’s place in world history.
The Park further argued that renaming the airport would go beyond symbolism, describing it as a “moral reckoning” that ensures national honours reflect truth, justice, and Ghana’s shared identity.
In recent years, calls for the renaming have intensified, with critics noting that it is problematic for Ghana’s main airport to commemorate individuals linked to the 1966 coup that toppled Dr. Nkrumah’s government. The Park called this a contradiction that distorts the country’s historical narrative.
“This inconsistency sends a harmful message, normalising betrayal and subversion,” the statement warned. It emphasized that such a legacy should not define a key national institution.
Dr. Nunyomah concluded by reaffirming the Park’s support for the campaign, insisting that naming the airport after Dr. Nkrumah would ensure that national symbols are aligned with Ghana’s authentic historical foundations.
Source: Classfmonline.com
Kwame Nkrumah Memorial bark backs calls to rename Kotoka Airport to honour Nkrumah
