The Paramount Chief of the Sempe Traditional Area and Mankralo of the Ga State, Nii Adote Otintor II, has called on the government to intervene in what he describes as a “hostile takeover” of McDan Aviation Limited by the Ghana Airports Company Limited (GACL).
In a strongly worded statement, the chief accused the Ghana Airports Company Limited (GACL) of disregarding due process and violating a court injunction during an operation to take control of facilities belonging to the aviation company.
According to the statement, GACL officials allegedly entered McDan Aviation’s private Fixed Base Operator (FBO) terminal at Terminal 1 in the early hours of March 11, 2026, to seize property and equipment despite a court injunction reportedly served on the company a day earlier.
The traditional leader described the operation as “midnight justice,” warning that such actions undermine Ghana’s legal system and discourage local entrepreneurship.
“The events represent not just a breach of contract but an assault on the spirit of Ghanaian entrepreneurship and a blatant defiance of our judicial system,” the statement said.
Nii Adote Otintor II further alleged that the Ghana Airports Company ignored a contractual provision requiring a 90-day notice period before eviction, a clause intended to protect the substantial investments made by the Ghanaian-owned aviation firm.
He also indicated that although McDan Aviation experienced a temporary delay in payments due to global economic pressures, the company had since settled all outstanding obligations.
The chief warned that dismantling a Ghanaian-owned business after it had rectified its financial obligations could amount to economic sabotage and send negative signals to local investors.
McDan Aviation, a subsidiary of the McDan Group, operates a private jet terminal facility at the Kotoka International Airport, which the company says contributes to Ghana’s global aviation competitiveness.
The Sempe Mantse expressed concern that actions against the company could discourage local investors and weaken confidence in Ghana’s business environment.
“When local investors feel unsafe in their own country, we kill the motivation for future generations to take investment risks,” the statement noted.
He also raised concerns about alleged political interference in the dispute, warning that allowing political considerations to undermine local businesses could harm the country’s economic prospects.
The traditional leader therefore called on the President and the Ministry of Transport to intervene by directing the Ghana Airports Company to halt further actions against McDan Aviation.
He also urged authorities to restore the company’s access to the FBO terminal and ensure that any disputes are resolved through proper legal and contractual processes.
“We will not stand by and watch our indigenous businesses be dismantled,” he said, stressing the need to support homegrown enterprises that contribute to job creation and national development.
