Steven Odarteifio, a petitioner for the renaming of the Kotoka International Airport, has claimed that Ghana Airways has not worked because the spirit of Dr Kwame Nkrumah isn’t happy with the name Kotoka on the Airport.
Odarteifio is quoted by a GHOne news flier to have said, “The reason Ghana Airways hasn’t worked all these years is because the spirit of Kwame Nkrumah isn’t happy with the name Kotoka”.
However, reacting to the GHOne news card shared by Franklin Cudjoe, Steven Odarteifio clarified that he never claimed Ghana Airways collapsed only because of a name.
He highlighted that the Ghana Airways failure was due to “real, measurable causes: governance problems, debt, political interference, operational inefficiencies, and weak accountability”.
Odarteifio under Franklin Cudjoe post stated, “I have never claimed Ghana Airways collapsed only because of a name. The airline’s failure had real, measurable causes: governance problems, debt, political interference, operational inefficiencies, and weak accountability. That is the fiscal side, and it matters.
But there is also a spiritual/philosophical side that many Ghanaians instinctively understand: a father’s blessing and a father’s curse, or the lack of honour shown to a father – matters. Scripture is explicit: “Honour your father and your mother, that your days may be long and that it may go well with you.” (Exodus 20:12; Ephesians 6:2–3). This isn’t superstition for superstition’s sake; it’s a moral law about order, reverence, and consequence.
So when I speak about the airport name, I’m saying this: as a nation, we cannot expect prosperity and excellence while placing at the very front door of our home the name of the man associated with overthrowing our founding father. In ordinary family life, if children hang at their doorway the name of the person who betrayed their father, everyone understands the symbolism: it’s dishonour. And dishonour poisons blessing—whether you describe it spiritually, culturally, or psychologically”.
Some netizens reacting to the news stated, “I AGREE!!! The spirit of Kwame Nkrumah is unhappy with many things, including the name Kotoka. I know because he told me so in a seance. Shame on unbelievers like @lordcudjoe”.
“The formidable machinery of government must be deployed not for symbolic gestures, but for tangible rescue. We do not want a new airport name while the landscape it serves is poisoned through galamsey activities. We want a future where our children can point not just to a renamed portal, but to a restored river, a regenerated forest, and a nation that chose its soil over its signage”, another netizen added.
Another Ghanaian added, “Why must someone who was part of a coup that overthrew Kwame Nkrumah’s government be named after our International Airport? Does it make sense?”.
“Ghana Airways collapsed due to corruption, greed, mismanagement and most of all, stupidity. It had absolutely nothing to do with the name Kotoka. If our leaders developed the country properly, that airport would have been redundant by now”, one more X user added.
The comments come on the back of the ongoing debate surrounding the renaming of the Kotoka International Airport to the Accra International Airport.
Meanwhile, Joseph Bukari Nikpe, the Minister of Transport, has defended the government’s decision to rename the Kotoka International Airport.
The Transport Minister highlighted that the Mahama government’s decision is not politically motivated, arguing that renaming the airport is of significant importance to the Ghanaian people.
He explained that the government decision to just restore the airport’s original name, Accra International Airport, given by Ghana’s first presiednt Dr Kwame Nkrumah.
See the post below:
And you have millions supporting you! What awesome thinking..🤣🤣😂. Koklo republic 😀😀😃 pic.twitter.com/R10BoNTDh8
— Franklin CUDJOE (@lordcudjoe) February 4, 2026