Private legal practitioner Austin Brako Powers has filed a lawsuit at the Supreme Court challenging the government’s position on renaming Kotoka International Airport.
The legal challenge targets the alleged rebranding of the nation’s primary aviation hub from Kotoka International Airport (KIA) to Accra International Airport.
The lawsuit comes amidst swirling reports and digital sightings of the new name a move that Brako argues isn’t just a matter of signage, but rather a matter of constitutional law.
In his writ, Brako contends that the shift in nomenclature was executed without following due process.
He argues that the Executive branch or state agencies lack the unilateral authority to rename a national monument of such significance without specific parliamentary oversight or adherence to established administrative laws.
Furthermore, he suggests that the name change was “clandestine” and lacks any grounded legal instrument to justify the removal of Lieutenant General Emmanuel Kwasi Kotoka’s name from the facility.
”A nation’s landmarks are anchored in law and history,” a source close to the legal team noted.
“You cannot simply swap a name as if you are changing a social media handle.
There are procedures to ensure the public interest is protected,” the source maintained.
The airport was named after Lt. Gen. Kotoka following the 1966 coup that toppled Ghana’s first president, Osagyefo Dr. Kwame Nkrumah.
For decades, the name has been a point of friction; supporters see it as a tribute to a key military figure, while critics argue that an international gateway should not be named after a coup leader who overthrew a founding father.
However, Brako’s suit sidesteps the emotional debate over Kotoka’s legacy, focusing instead on the legality of the process.
By framing this as a constitutional issue, the case forces the Supreme Court to define the limits of executive power regarding national symbols.
The government and the Ghana Airports Company Limited (GACL) are expected to file their responses in the coming days.
If the Court finds that the rebranding lacked a statutory basis, it could force a reversal of all branding efforts at a significant cost to the taxpayer or mandate a formal legislative process to make the change official.
As it stands, the gates of the Supreme Court are the final checkpoint for whether the “Accra International Airport” name takes flight or remains grounded.
By 1960news.com
