According to a historian, Ashanti chiefs opposed the naming of Kotoka International Airport after “Yaa Asantewaa.”
Originally, the plan was to name the Kotoka International Airport (KIA) after the famed Queen Mother of Ejisu, Yaa Asantewaa, but the proposal was blocked by resistance from some Ashanti sub-chiefs, according to Yaw Anokye Frimpong, a historian and private lawyer.
Mr Anokye said on Upfront on JoyNews on Wednesday, February 4, when addressing the issue of renaming the airport, that the notion originated during the tenure of Ghana’s first president, Dr Kwame Nkrumah.
After achieving internal self-government in 1951 and becoming prime minister in 1952, Dr Nkrumah concentrated on establishing Ghana as the focal point of Africa’s liberation movement, he said.
“It was Nkrumah who gave us the Ghana Navy and then the Ghana Air Force. He said he met the Ghana Army or the Gold Coast Army.
“And consider his vision of a united Africa, supporting the independence of every African nation, and utilizing Ghana as a hub for the freedom struggle. He required an international airport.
He claimed that the airport was intentionally designed for international usage rather than just for local flights.
“Thus, he went right to work building that airport for international use rather than for local use.” He stated that he finished it by 1957 and that thousands of people would then come here. He went on to say that the Ambassador Hotel was also built to welcome foreign officials since Ghana did not have any hotels of international standard at the time.
According to Mr. Anokye, Dr. Nkrumah wanted the airport to be named after a woman, which was a choice that was inspired by his mentor, Dr. James Kwegyir Aggrey.
“Keep in mind that Nkrumah was taught by Aggrey at Achimota School, and Aggrey used to tell his students that if you educate a man, you educate an individual; if you educate a woman, you educate a whole nation,” he added.
Dr. Nkrumah, he said, was a big admirer of Aggrey and embraced several of his concepts, such as his views on women and nation-building.
The historian revealed that Dr. Nkrumah spoke with Asantehene Otumfuo Osei Agyeman Prempeh II about the matter, deciding that the airport should be named after a well-known Ghanaian if it were to represent the greatness of the country.
“And then Nkrumah, laying his pen to paper, realized that it was one well-known Ghanaian he could immediately remember, who fortunately and incidentally for him was a woman,” he said.
He said that the lady was Yaa Asantewaa, who headed the Ashanti people in 1900 during the War of the Golden Stool in an effort to prevent the British from seizing the holy symbol of Ashanti authority.
Mr. Anokye put her opposition in a larger historical perspective, pointing out how colonial rulers had taken significant cultural objects from other nations.
The Golden Stool was never taken, despite the Ashanti army’s defeat, which is why “in almost every country you could imagine, these westerners preferred something of value, a great heritage, irreplaceable value, taken away from the people,” he emphasised.
“Regardless of the technicality that Ashanti was technically defeated, the same technicality states that they won the war once they were unable to capture the Golden Stool,” he continued, adding that Nkrumah, a student of African history, recognised this significance.
Nkrumah felt that naming the airport after Yaa Asantewaa would raise Ghana’s profile internationally and advance women’s equality, according to Mr. Anokye.
“Nana was overjoyed when he told her. After that, he called a meeting of the Ashanti chiefs and informed them of the situation,” he said.
However, some sub-chiefs vehemently opposed the plan because of their political stance.
“We have a conflict, and we have disassociated ourselves,” they declared. Kwame Nkrumah is a member of the CPP. He should go find a CPP woman to name the airport after if he hasn’t already obtained the name of any woman. It won’t be our royal, Yaa Asantewaa,” he said.
The opposition remained unmoved in spite of appeals from the Asantehene.
“Therefore, what action would Nkrumah take? “ Mr. Anokye stated that the President made a conscious effort not to name the airport after himself and instead called it Accra International Airport.
“He could have called it Kwame International Airport, but he gave it the symbolic name Accra International Airport to let you know that he never intended to put his name on it. “
His remarks align with the government’s plan to transform the Kotoka International Airport and Accra International Airport, a choice that has sparked significant discussion in Ghana.
Some people believe the act to be needless, but others think the airport should not celebrate Lieutenant General Emmanuel Kwasi Kotoka, a military dictator who led a coup against Ghana’s first president.
Source: myjoyonline.com