Lawyer Anokye Frimpong Challenges Legal Basis of Airport Naming, Defends Nkrumah’s Legacy

Private legal practitioner and historian, Lawyer Anokye Frimpong, has waded into the ongoing debate over the naming of Ghana’s premier international airport, questioning the legal foundation of the decision and defending the legacy of Ghana’s first President, Kwame Nkrumah.

In a zoom interview on Kessben TV’s Digest, he said, the naming of national assets must be properly backed by law, stressing that major state institutions and monuments should not be renamed without clear legislative authority.

He argued that the change of name from Accra International Airport (AIA) to Kotoka International Airport was not explicitly supported by law. Citing National Liberation Council Decree (NLCD) 339, he explained that the decree established the Kotoka Trust Fund but did not formally rename the airport.

“NLCD 339 covers the Kotoka Trust Fund, not the name of the airport,” he maintained.

Frimpong further contended that the late Emmanuel Kwasi Kotoka, after whom the airport is named, was not internationally recognized in the same way as Dr. Nkrumah, whom he described as one of Africa’s greatest leaders.

He noted that Nkrumah was at one point voted Africa’s greatest leader and insisted that historical narratives in certain parts of the country have unfairly portrayed him as a tyrant.

Touching on Ghana’s political history, the lawyer said the Majority Leader, Mahama Ayariga and other political actors could have better communicated the historical context surrounding the 1966 coup that overthrew Nkrumah. He emphasized that Nkrumah’s Convention People’s Party (CPP) enjoyed nationwide support, winning parliamentary seats across the country, unlike other parties which were largely dominant in specific regions.

Frimpong also defended some of the controversial policies introduced during Nkrumah’s administration. He stated that the Preventive Detention Act was enacted by Parliament to protect the state from destabilization, citing several assassination attempts on Nkrumah during his tenure.

He further reiterated that opposition figure J.B. Danquah has been confirmed working with foreign interests (CIA) against the government, insisting that Danquah died of natural causes and not as a direct result of Nkrumah’s actions.

According to him, the United States was wary of Nkrumah’s ideology of African unity, which he said may have influenced international dynamics at the time.

Frimpong added that records show Nkrumah had significant political support in the Ashanti Region, despite facing opposition there.

He concluded by noting that within a year after Nkrumah’s overthrow, internal instability within the National Liberation Council (NLC) led to further unrest, which eventually resulted in the death of Kotoka during a counter-coup attempt.

The comments come amid renewed public discourse over the legal, historical, and political implications of naming national assets and the broader legacy of Ghana’s post-independence leadership.