Why Ghana's Airport Should Be Named Kwame Nkrumah International Airport

Abstract—The case of Nkrumah's overthrow serves as a cautionary tale of how intelligence agencies, driven by their own interests, can undermine sovereignty and stability in foreign nations. The events surrounding the 1966 coup in Ghana, orchestrated by the National Liberation Council (NLC), reveal a betrayal of national interests and collaboration with foreign powers, particularly the CIA. The coup leaders, including Major Afrifa, IGP Harley, General Ankrah and Major General E.A. Kotoka, seized power, denouncing Kwame Nkrumah's regime and dissolving the government and political parties. Their actions, depicted as a liberation from Nkrumah's perceived tyranny, were, in reality, a betrayal of the Ghana's sovereignty and economic development.

Introduction—It is wrong to continue honoring Kotoka by retaining his name on Ghana's international airport, as his role in the 1966 coup represents a betrayal akin to Judas' betrayal of Christ in the New Testament. Kotoka's actions, as evidenced by John Stockwell's "In Search of Enemies, A CIA Story" and Susan Williams' "In White Malice," align with traitorous behavior orchestrated by external influences like the CIA. Therefore, it is imperative to rename the airport to Kwame Nkrumah International Airport in order to restore honor and dignity to Ghana as a nation. Doing so would also discredit the false narrative about Kwame Nkrumah as a tyrant as portrayed by the coup leaders and other political ideologues within Ghana and Africa at large.

In our time, prophets may seem obsolete, but Kwame Nkrumah's prophetic insights in "Neo-Colonialism: The Last Stage of Imperialism" remain pertinent today. Despite his significant contributions, some Ghanaian critics, continue to unjustly attack him out of ignorance. Their refusal to recognize his foresight is discreditable. Nkrumah's legacy reminds us of the ongoing struggle for not only Ghana’s economic freedom but also true African independence.

How Ghana’s airport became Kotoka International Airport— According to the Edward A. Ulzen Memorial Foundation, in April 1967, an attempted coup, codenamed "Guitar-boy," shook Ghana, orchestrated by junior officers from the reconnaissance regiment stationed in Ho, Volta Region. Led by Lieutenant S.B. Arthur, the coup aimed to overthrow the government, resulting in heavy fighting and the tragic death of Lt.-Gen Emmanuel Kwasi Kotoka, a member of the ruling National Liberation Council (NLC). Kotoka's sacrifice led to the renaming of the Ghana International Airport to Kotoka International Airport in his honor in 1969. However, controversy surrounds this renaming, as it reflects Ghana's struggle to reconcile with the Nkrumah era and the true essence of liberation.

An article entitled “The history behind Ghana’s KIA adjudged best airport in Africa by size and region published on September 08, 2022, by Deborah Dzifa Makafui— shows that the renaming of the Accra International Airport to Kotoka International Airport in 1969 commemorated Lieutenant General Emmanuel Kwasi Kotoka, a key figure in the National Liberation Council, who died during the 1967 coup attempt. The airport's history traces back to its use as a military base by the British Royal Air Force during World War II. President Kwame Nkrumah initiated its conversion into a terminal building in 1956, completing the transformation into an airport with a capacity for 500,000 passengers annually by 1958.

Traitors in Collaboration: The NLC's Role in the Covert Ousting of Kwame Nkrumah— The ousting of Kwame Nkrumah in Ghana in 1966 stands as a poignant example of the covert operations orchestrated by the CIA in collaboration with unpatriotic Ghanaian politicians and military officers. John Stockwell, a former Chief of the CIA Angola Task Force, in his book "In Search of Enemies, A CIA Story," sheds light on the intricate machinations behind this event.

Despite the 40 Committee's rejection of a proposal to remove Nkrumah from power, the CIA's Accra station was encouraged by headquarters to maintain contact with dissidents within the Ghanaian army. Stockwell reveals that the station was generously funded and closely collaborated with the plotters as they prepared for the coup. The depth of the station's involvement is exemplified by its coordination in recovering classified Soviet military equipment during the coup, and its audacious proposal to storm the Chinese embassy, a plan that was fortunately quashed. Stockwell notes that the Accra station was unofficially credited within CIA headquarters for the success of the coup, despite the 40 Committee's decision. (John Stockwell, In Search, A CIA Story, 1978, page 200).

Moreover, Stockwell's firsthand account emphasizes the personal connections and egotistical attitudes prevalent within the CIA during this period. His experience in Vietnam and Ivory Coast highlights the agency's continuous involvement in covert operations across different regions. Stockwell's assertion that the CIA station in Ghana played a major role in Nkrumah's overthrow, despite the 40 Committee's decision against it, underscores the agency's willingness to disregard established protocols for its own agenda. ”(Ibid, p.83)

In retrospect, Stockwell's narrative provides a damning indictment of the CIA's clandestine activities in Ghana and their collaboration with local actors to subvert democratic processes. Specifically, John Stockwell, stated—“For example, the CIA station in Ghana played a major role in the overthrow of Kwame Nkrumah in 1966, in violation of a 40 Committee decision not to, but CIA cables and dispatches infer that all contacts with the plotters were undertaken solely to obtain intelligence on what they were doing” (Ibid, p.159)

Further evidence underscores how the ousting of Kwame Nkrumah in Ghana in 1966 vividly portrays the covert operations orchestrated by the CIA in collaboration with disloyal Ghanaian politicians and military officers. Specifically, Susan Williams' work, "In White Malice," sheds light on the extensive CIA involvement in Africa during the Cold War era, particularly in Ghana and the Congo, highlighting the agency's pursuit of securing American power and resources across the continent.

Williams reveals that the CIA's Africa division, established in 1959, operated with the mandate to secure American interests in Africa by any means necessary. This included meddling in the internal affairs of African nations to control nuclear material, manipulate public opinion, and influence governments. Ghana, under Nkrumah's leadership, posed a threat to American interests due to its Pan-Africanist vision and stance against neocolonialism.

The CIA's actions in Ghana, as detailed by Williams, were aimed at undermining Nkrumah's leadership and destabilizing the government to gain control over the country's resources. The collaboration between the CIA and unpatriotic Ghanaian elements, such as the National Liberation Council (NLC), exemplifies the betrayal of national sovereignty and democratic principles for the benefit of foreign powers. Moreover, Williams' research highlights Nkrumah's vision of Pan-African unity as a threat to the CIA's agenda of maintaining control over African nations and their resources. The agency's interference in Ghana's affairs, culminating in Nkrumah's overthrow, underscores the lengths to which it went to subvert African autonomy and promote American interests.

In light of this evidence, it is evident that the NLC's collaboration with the CIA to overthrow Nkrumah constitutes an act of treason against the Ghanaian people and their aspirations for economic development. Therefore, it is unjustifiable to continue honoring figures like Kotoka, who played a role in this betrayal, by naming Ghana's international airport after them. Instead, the airport should be renamed Kwame Nkrumah International Airport to honor his legacy.

Ebenezer Ato Ntarkurfah Jackson
Cornell University-Johnson School of Business

MBA Class of 2015
[email protected]