Ghana Airports Company Limited Managing Director Yvonne Nana Afriyie Opare announced on Tuesday, August 4, 2026, that two car park workers at Accra International Airport have been dismissed for asking passengers for money outside approved processes. She made the disclosure during a visit by Parliament’s Committee on Roads and Transportation.
The sacking came roughly two weeks earlier after repeated passenger complaints allowed management to identify the individuals involved.
“Just about two weeks ago, we have about two people expelled from the airport as car park workers who asks passengers for money. And instantly, because we were able to zero in on the people, we were able to have them leave the airport immediately,”
Yvonne Nana Afriyie OpareShe called on the public to help stamp out the practice by reporting offenders and demanding receipts.
The move follows a wave of public anger triggered by a viral video from a Ghanaian man detailing how staff
at multiple points at the airport stopped him to solicit money before carrying out their duties.
“If you meet 20 workers, all 20 will ask you for money,”
he said in the clip that spread quickly across social media. Other travellers shared similar stories, adding
pressure on airport authorities.
JoyNews and other outlets reported the dismissals the same day Opare spoke. The two workers were car park attendants, not immigration or customs officers, the groups passengers most often single out in online complaints about “nokofio.”
Long-running complaint finally draws visible action
Complaints about staff soliciting tips or extra payments at the airport are not new. Similar accounts
circulated widely in 2024 and resurfaced earlier in 2026 after the facility’s rebrand from Kotoka
International Airport to Accra International Airport. Cleaners, parking attendants and other workers have
been accused of approaching passengers after standard fees were already paid.
What stands out this time is the speed of the response once specific names and roles were pinned down. Opare
stressed that lack of concrete evidence from complainants often makes disciplinary action difficult. She
urged travellers to note which agency a worker belongs to, get a name where possible, and insist on a
receipt for any payment demanded. That paper trail, she said, gives management something usable.
The airport is Ghana’s main international gateway and is undergoing major upgrades, including work on
Terminal 2, car park expansion and an airport hotel. Management has framed the dismissals as part of a
broader push to improve passenger experience and protect the country’s image with tourists, business
travellers and the diaspora.
Public reaction
Social media users largely welcomed the news. Comments ranged from “It’s about time” to jokes about
the last cedi being demanded at the exit. Some pointed out that car park staff are the easiest to catch and
remove, while the more entrenched soliciting inside the terminals by other categories of workers continues
to draw the loudest complaints.
UK-based Ghanaians and returnees have been especially vocal. One recent video from a man who uses the
airport regularly warned that the practice risks opening doors to more serious problems. Others noted that
the culture of asking for “something small” has become so normalised that some staff appear surprised when
passengers refuse.
Opare’s appeal for public cooperation is practical. Without reports that identify specific people and
agencies, management says its hands remain tied. The two dismissals show that when the information is solid,
action can be fast.
As of August 5, 2026, no further names or additional sackings have been announced. The Managing Director has
made clear the company will not tolerate staff who harass or solicit money from passengers.
The message from GACL is straightforward: report it, get a receipt, and help clean up the gateway. Two
workers are already out. Whether that changes the daily experience for the next passenger walking through
arrivals or the car park remains the real test.