By Ewoenam Kpodo
Denu (VR), Feb 18, GNA – Mr Livingstone Pay-Charlie, a student of History and social justice practitioner, has contended calls to rename Kotoka International Airport (KIA), saying Gen Emmanuel Kwasi Kotoka’s contributions to Ghana’s history warrant preserving his name.
Proponents of renaming the airport pointed to Gen Kotoka’s complex legacy, especially his involvement in the 1966 coup that overthrew President Kwame Nkrumah, arguing that naming the airport after him might be perceived as celebrating a contentious figure.
However, Mr Pay-Charlie in an interview with Ghana News Agency countered that Gen Kotoka’s life and legacy served as a reminder of the human condition, acknowledging both his accomplishments and flaws, and encouraged Ghanaians to approach historical figures with nuance, understanding and empathy.
“Kotoka’s name resonates the institution of humanity with frailties and foibles. We are all humans with our unique strengths and weaknesses. Despite Kotoka partaking in the 1966 coup, he was a distinguished soldier of immense intelligence and tremendous courage who would speak his mind and damn the consequences.
“Kotoka for instance, led a platoon to the Congo War in 1963-64 and was praised as a soldier of distinction. He was the one who pioneered on the ground what we call pincer movement of military strategy. Also, he was very instrumental in making sure the 48 Engineer Regiment became a force to reckon with.”
The former Editor of ‘The Insight, Daily Post and Republic’ newspapers underscored the need to ensure that history was constructed or told in its factual form without distortions saying, a country’s history was its treasure trove.
He admitted, Gen Kotoka took part in the CIA-sponsored coup that toppled the Kwame Nkrumah government on February 24, 1966, and that his colleagues in other sister security institutions joined the collaborative effort to thwart the first Republic which brought in Gen Ankrah to head the National Liberation Council (NLC).
Mr Pay-Charlie said while the coup makers had their reasons for the coup including worsening economic conditions, dictatorship in the form of declaration of one-party state in 1964, rounding and detention of political opponents without trial, Gen Kotoka regretted taking part, upon later discovering that President Nkrumah was a victim of lies.
“He was not ashamed to own up to his mistake and called for immediate recall of President Nkrumah to take up his post. This started some toxic mix bag of eerie feeling, disquiet, and anxiety within the top echelons of the NLC junta, leading to some to view Kotoka as a sellout, a betrayer of what the NLC was about from the outset.
On 17th April 1967, there was a strange counter coup on the NLC by some dissident elements. Gen Kotoka was not ready to surrender. He and others fought to abort the coup. Three high-ranking soldiers of Ewe extraction were killed: Gen Kotoka, Capt Avevor and Capt Cephas Borkloe. How could in a whole abortive coup, only Ewes were killed?”
Mr Pay-Charlie believed that while the airport was renamed in honour of Gen Kotoka’s gallantry, it was also a strategic masterstroke of statecraft to quell a growing ethnic discontent and belief among some people from Volta Region at the time that the NLC was deliberating carrying out ethnic cleansing and purging off its organs of Ewes.
“So, having found his lifeless body at the airport after a search, the NLC junta changed the Accra International Airport to KIA to honour his gallantry for standing up to defend the country, and also to strategically quell off this dangerous emerging concerns of tribal and ethnic cleansing.”
He therefore called on the new government to disregard recent calls for change of name of KIA and concern itself with real problems like rising youth unemployment and rising food cost confronting Ghanaians.
GNA