Chief Executive Officer of the Consumer Protection Agency, Kofi Kapito has questioned the financial and practical cost of renaming Kotoka International Airport.
He questioned whether the country can afford such a change at a time when public services are struggling.
“Do you know how much it’s going to cost the taxpayer?” he asked.
“The moment you take Kotoka out of it, you have to re-change every single thing that has Kotoka on it.”
Kapito said the debate over the airport’s name ignores more serious problems in the health sector and other public institutions.
“Go to Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital. Go to 37 Military Hospital. Go to Komfo Anokye,” he said.
“At Korle-Bu, the toilets have been locked and given to a private person to charge people.”
He cited an example from maternity wards.
“A pregnant woman is charged 50 pesewas to use the toilet, and if you want toilet roll, they charge you 10 pesewas extra,” he stated.
On the historical argument surrounding Kotoka, Kapito said Ghana must accept its past without allowing it to distract from present needs.
“Kotoka did a coup, so what? Rawlings also did a coup. These things are part of our history,” he said.
