The Office of the Attorney-General has informed the Supreme Court that Kotoka International Airport is still the facility's correct legal name. This development comes months after government officials began publicly referring to it as Accra International Airport. According to an affidavit filed in the case, the renaming exists only on paper so far because Parliament has not amended the 1969 decree under which the airport was named.
The dispute reached the Supreme Court after Austin Kwabena Brako-Powers filed a suit asking the court to declare that renaming the airport without first amending the General Kotoka Trust Decree, 1969 (NLCD 339), would be unconstitutional. NLCD 339 is the decree that established the General Kotoka Trust and, with it, the airport's name in honour of the late General Emmanuel Kwasi Kotoka.
In its affidavit, the government argued that the decree has not been touched and is still part of Ghanaian law. The affidavit, deposed by Assistant State Attorney Mamavi Owusu-Aboagye, stated that the General Kotoka Trust Decree, 1969 (NLCD 339) remains fully intact and operative as part of the laws of Ghana.
The government also pointed to Exhibit AG8, a document outlining the practical steps still needed to complete a renaming. These steps include amending statutory instruments, replacing official documents, changing airport signage, updating digital platforms, and notifying aviation publications. The government argued that these outstanding steps prove the press announcement of the new name never carried legal force on its own.
The affidavit traced the paper trail behind the proposed change, revealing that a draft Accra International Airport Bill, 2025, was submitted to the Ministry of Transport on 21 August 2025. The Ministry sought Cabinet's policy approval on 10 November 2025, and Cabinet approved the proposal on 9 December 2025. The Minister for Transport signed the Bill, now titled the Accra International Airport Bill, 2026, on 10 February 2026.
The Attorney-General's statement of case also questioned whether the Supreme Court has jurisdiction over the suit at all, arguing that Brako-Powers' complaint is about a possible breach of a statute rather than a genuine constitutional question. The government further argued that the case is premature since Parliament has not yet laid the Bill.
The case remains pending before the Supreme Court, with the Attorney-General denying that the Trust or its beneficiaries have suffered any harm. The Attorney-General stated that no obligation under the decree has been affected and no beneficiary deprived of any benefit. Key issues in the case include whether the airport's name can be changed without amending the 1969 decree and whether the Supreme Court has jurisdiction over the suit.
Key points
- The Attorney-General has told the Supreme Court that Kotoka International Airport's legal name remains unchanged.
- The government argues that renaming the airport requires amending the 1969 decree.
- The case is pending before the Supreme Court, with the Attorney-General contesting its jurisdiction.
