Consumer Protection Bill Is More Important Than Changing the Name of Kotoka International Airport

By Fuvi Kloku

For more than twenty years, Ghana has watched the Consumer Protection Bill drift through the corridors of Parliament like an abandoned child. Introduced during President Kufuor’s era, this bill was meant to shield ordinary citizens from the daily exploitation they face in the marketplace. Yet today, it still sits untouched, unprioritized, and unpassed , while Ghanaians continue to suffer at the hands of companies that operate without accountability.

Every day, consumers are fleeced. Prices change without explanation. Telecom companies overcharge with no consequences. Retailers boldly print “NO RETURNS” on receipts, even when they knowingly sell defective products. Automobile buyers are stuck with faulty vehicles because Ghana has no equivalent of the “lemon law,” which protects consumers in other countries when the same defect appears repeatedly. In Ghana, the consumer stands alone , unprotected, unheard, and unshielded.

And in the midst of all this, our lawmakers are debating whether to rename Kotoka International Airport. Is this truly the national priority? Is a symbolic name change more urgent than protecting millions of citizens from fraud, abuse, and unfair treatment? What exactly is wrong with our Honourables? How do they justify spending scarce national resources on administrative costs for a name change while a bill that directly affects the daily lives of Ghanaians remains ignored?

To be fair, the Mahama administration has made commendable progress in stabilizing the cedi and easing the prices of some goods and services. But even with these gains, the absence of a strong consumer protection framework leaves a dangerous vacuum. Without laws that defend the public, economic stability alone cannot protect citizens from exploitation. A stable currency means little if consumers are still cheated at the point of sale, still denied refunds, still trapped with defective products, and still powerless against corporate misconduct.

Ghana does not need another round of political theatrics. Ghana does not need another symbolic gesture dressed up as national progress. What Ghana needs , urgently , is a government that understands the difference between priorities and distractions. A government that recognizes that protecting its people is more important than renaming an airport. A government that sees the Consumer Protection Bill not as paperwork, but as a lifeline.

It is time to stop the childish politics of name changes and focus on the real issues. Ghanaians deserve dignity in the marketplace. They deserve fairness. They deserve protection. And they deserve leaders who put their welfare above political games.

The Consumer Protection Bill must be passed now. Not after another debate. Not after another distraction. Not after another decade. Now , because the people of Ghana have waited long enough.