Sempe Traditional Council urges government to intervene in McDan–GACL dispute
The Paramount Chief of the Sempe Traditional Area, Nii Adote Otintor II, has urged the Ghana Airports Company Limited (GACL) to halt what he describes as a “hostile takeover” of the facilities of McDan Aviation at Terminal 1 of the Kotoka International Airport in Accra.
The intervention by the Ga traditional leader follows an escalating dispute between GACL and McDan Aviation Handling Services Limited after the airport authority terminated the company’s Fixed Base Operation (FBO) agreement over alleged non-payment of licence fees, rent and royalties.
GACL announced on March 12, 2026, that it had ended the agreement, maintaining that the contract had been formally terminated on January 16 after the company allegedly failed to honour its financial obligations.
However, McDan Aviation has rejected the airport authority’s claims, insisting the action breaches the terms of the agreement and disregards ongoing legal processes surrounding the dispute.
In a strongly worded statement issued from the Sempe Stool on March 14, Nii Adote Otintor II criticised the manner in which the situation has unfolded, warning that the development could undermine confidence among Ghanaian entrepreneurs.
“The events of March 11, 2026, represent not just a breach of contract, but an assault on the very spirit of Ghanaian entrepreneurship and a blatant defiance of our judicial system,” he said.
The Sempe chief further alleged that officials of the airport authority entered the company’s private terminal facility in the early hours of the morning despite a court injunction reportedly served the previous day.
“We are reliably informed that despite being served with a court injunction on March 10, 2026, GACL officials—under the cover of darkness at 1:00 a.m.—forcibly entered the private FBO terminal to seize property and equipment. This act of ‘midnight justice’ is a stain on our democracy,” he stated.
According to the traditional ruler, the airport authority also disregarded provisions in the contract that require a mandatory 90-day notice period before eviction.
“GACL willfully ignored the mandatory 90-day notice period required for eviction, a provision designed to protect the millions of dollars invested by this indigenous Ghanaian-owned firm,” he said.
Nii Adote Otintor II maintained that although there had been delays in payments by the aviation company due to global economic pressures, the firm had taken steps to settle the outstanding obligations.
“While a brief payment delay occurred due to global economic pressures, McDan Aviation acted in good faith and fully settled all outstanding debts,” he stated.
He cautioned that developments perceived as targeting indigenous investors could weaken confidence in the local business environment and discourage future Ghanaian investments.
“The optics of this takeover are troubling. When local investors feel unsafe in their own country, we kill the motivation for future generations to take plausible investment risks,” he said.
The Sempe chief therefore called on the government and the Ministry of Transport to intervene by restraining the airport authority from further action against the company, restoring McDan Aviation’s access to its terminal facility and ensuring the matter is resolved through the courts and other lawful mechanisms.
McDan Aviation, a subsidiary of the McDan Group, provides private jet handling and ground support services at the airport.