I’ll Continue to shame you with projects – Akufo-Addo tells critics as he commissions Prempeh I Int. Airport

President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has said he will continue to put his critics to shame with development projects.

Commissioning the Prempeh I International Airport in Kumasi on Friday, May 10, the President said he will not stop at sending development to every corner of the country. He said anytime he starts a project, the naysayers say he will not be able to complete it. “They say the projects are 419, but I will continue to shame them with progressive projects until I end my tenure,” he said.

Commissioning
The commissioning of the newly re-modelled Kumasi International Airport, which has been named after the 13th Asantehene, had in attendance, the Asantehene Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, the Prime Minister of Trinidad and Tobago, Dr. Keith Rowley, and the Minister of Transport, Kwaku Ofori Asiamah,, among other dignitaries.

Significant Point
President Akufo-Addo noted that the commissioning of the airport coinciding with the 25th anniversary celebration of the reign of Otumfuo Osei Tutu II “is a fitting tribute to the rich cultural heritage and historic legacy of the Asante Kingdom.“

It also marked another significant point in the development of Kumasi and the Ashanti Region. Currently undergoing equipment testing for both domestic and international flights, the airport is expected to commence full operations by June this year.

It has the capacity to accommodate over 800,000 passengers annually, primarily from the northern and middle belts.

Renaming
The President said his decision to rename the Kumasi International Airport after the 13th Asantehene was apt, emphasising that all admirers and historians accept that Otumfuo Agyeman Prempeh I played a pivotal role in consolidating the Ashanti kingdom during his reign in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. “During his reign, he faced significant challenges including colonial encroachment and internal strife but his leadership and vision were instrumental in shaping the destiny of the Ashanti people,” he said.

Relief
He was excited that the airport will bring relief to many travellers and businesses in the Ashanti Region and beyond, who have to travel to Accra and to the Accra Kotoka International Airport to board international flights.
“The airport will now serve as an important gateway, forging stronger economic ties, supporting international trade and tourism and promoting cultural exchanges,” he added.