Democracy Hub, a social activist group, and the Convention People’s Party (CPP) have sued Ghana’s Supreme Court to have the name Kotoka removed from Ghana’s International Airport.
Since Lieutenant-General Emmanuel Kwasi Kotoka was instrumental in the first coup d’état in 1966, the group contends that his name should not be on a national monument because it goes against Ghana’s democratic ideals.
“For 59 years, Ghana has lived with the contradiction of denouncing coups while honouring one of the architects of the first military overthrow of an elected government,” the group stated.
Kotoka International Airport’s designation under the General Kotoka Trust Decree, 1969 (NLCD 339) is a state-sanctioned endorsement of unconstitutional governance, according to Democracy Hub and the CPP. They consider the name’s removal to be a step in reinforcing Ghana’s dedication to democracy.
“It is time for Ghana to make a clear statement that it stands against unconstitutional rule, not just in rhetoric but in practice,” the statement added.
The case is the result of in-depth legal and archival research and is backed by legal specialists from Merton & Everett LLP.
By characterizing the legal challenge as “more than a court case, it is a national reckoning with our past,” Democracy Hub is urging civil society organizations, young activists, and proponents of democracy to support it.
Ghanaian military officer Lieutenant General Emmanuel Kwasi Kotoka was born on September 26, 1926, and died on April 17, 1967. He was a member of the National Liberation Council, which took control of the country after a military coup on February 24, 1966.
Dr. Kwame Nkrumah, the republic’s first president, lost power as a result.
Source: myjoyonline.com