[ 2015-03-27 ]

Ex-Prez Kufour Never Named Kumasi Airport As An “International” One – Minority Leader
The ruling National Democratic Congress [NDC] and
the opposition New Patriotic Party [NPP] are both
debating as to which government first named the
Kumasi Airport as an "International" one.

The NDC insists that former President John Agyekum
Kufour gave the airport its international status
as a political gimmick to win votes from the
region some years back.

Late last year, President John Dramani Mahama and
the Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu ll jointly
inaugurated the aeronautical ground lighting [AGL]
system at the Kumasi airport.

The $4.9 million project forms part of the major
refurbishment that has transformed Kumasi airport
into an international airport, the president
announced.

Ever since the transformation and the renaming of
the domestic airport to Kumasi International
Airport [KIA], some individuals have argued and
disagreed that the facilities at the airport does
not meet the standard to gain international
status.

According to records, the airport attained its
international status as far back as 2003 by then
President Kufour but never gain much publicity due
to its poor standard.

In 2013, the NDC government embarked on a
development of the Kumasi Airport to, provide the
requisite infrastructure for safe domestic and
international operations.

With the new lease of life, the 71-year-old
airport now accommodate bigger aircraft and begin
the process to turn Ghana into an aviation hub in
the sub-region.

Speaking on the issue on OKAY FM’s "Ade Akye
Abia" morning show, the Suame NPP MP, Hon
Osei-Kyei Mensah-Bonsu dismissed assertions that
Kufour first gave the Kumasi airport the
international status.

“Ex-President Kufour rather wanted Kumasi and
Tamale airport to develop into an international
airport. He never named Kumasi airport as an
international airport one. Attaining an
international airport goes with so many things.
The Kumasi airport don’t have those things yet,
but they [NDC] have named it as an international
airport. Let’s be serious with ourselves as a
country,” he said.

Source - Peacefmonline

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