By Samuel Asamoah

A private citizen, Samson Asaki Awingobit, has petitioned President John Dramani Mahama to suspend further construction of the US$1.3 billion Sentuo Airport Garden City Project at the Airport Residential Area in Accra, pending a comprehensive national-security assessment.

The petition, addressed to the President, raises concerns about the location, scale and proposed configuration of the mixed-use development, which is being developed by Sentuo Group at 10 Giffard Road.

According to the petition, the project, for which President Mahama performed a ceremonial sod-cutting on September 15, 2026, is expected to comprise about 582 premium apartments, a 600-room hotel, a 2,500-capacity conference facility, healthcare facilities, a shopping mall, landscaped gardens and other commercial and leisure facilities.

Mr Awingobit said his objection was not to foreign direct investment or Chinese investment in Ghana, but to what he described as the strategic proximity of the project to sensitive military, defence, national-security and aviation installations.

He argued that the scale and height of the development warranted security scrutiny beyond the normal planning and commercial considerations applicable to conventional real-estate projects.

The petitioner pointed to the location of Giffard Road within what he described as the military-security landscape of Accra, citing its connection to areas around the 37 Military Hospital, El-Wak, Burma Camp and the Air Force Base.

He said the Government should establish whether the Ghana Armed Forces, Ministry of Defence, national-security agencies, Ghana Police Service, Ghana Civil Aviation Authority and other relevant institutions had conducted a comprehensive security assessment of the project’s location, design, height, technological infrastructure and access arrangements.

Mr Awingobit also raised questions about the future security architecture of the complex, including who would control its surveillance systems, who would have access to security-control rooms, where surveillance data would be stored and what cybersecurity protocols would apply.

He further questioned whether private security personnel working at the development would be vetted by Ghanaian security agencies and whether adequate mechanisms would be established to prevent unauthorised surveillance of nearby government, military and aviation installations.

The petition cited international cases involving properties allegedly linked to cybercrime, fraud and money laundering as examples of why, in the petitioner’s view, authorities should conduct due diligence, tenant screening, beneficial-ownership checks and continuous security oversight.

Mr Awingobit specifically referenced cases reported in Dubai and Cambodia, while stressing that such cases should not be interpreted as evidence against Chinese investment generally.

He said the examples instead demonstrated the need for robust security and financial controls when large private developments are located near strategic national assets.

Another concern raised in the petition relates to the project’s proximity to Kotoka International Airport.

Mr Awingobit said the Government should assess potential security scenarios involving individuals who could acquire or rent premises within the development and subsequently pose security concerns.

He, however, acknowledged that the scenarios outlined in the petition were not predictions that such incidents would occur, but argued that they should be assessed as part of preventive national-security planning.

Calls for multi-agency assessment

The petitioner has called for an immediate suspension of further construction pending an independent, multi-agency security assessment.

He proposed the involvement of the Ministry of Defence, Ghana Armed Forces, National Security, Ghana Police Service, Ghana Civil Aviation Authority, Ghana Airports Company Limited and other relevant state institutions.

He also wants authorities to undertake a strategic land-use review to determine whether the project’s proposed height, density, orientation and location are compatible with the security requirements of neighbouring defence, government and aviation installations.

Other measures proposed include a counter-surveillance assessment, enhanced beneficial-ownership and source-of-funds due diligence, vetting arrangements for occupants and corporate tenants, and clear rules governing CCTV systems, cybersecurity, data storage and security personnel.

The petition also calls for appropriate oversight of the completed development by Ghanaian security agencies and for the findings of the security review to be made available to relevant parliamentary oversight institutions, subject to national-security confidentiality requirements.

Not against Chinese investment

Mr Awingobit emphasised that his petition was not intended to oppose Chinese investment or undermine the business interests of Sentuo Group.

He said Ghana needed responsible foreign investment to create jobs, expand productive capacity and support economic development.

His concern, he stated, was specifically about the location, strategic proximity, security architecture and long-term national-interest implications of the development.

He urged President Mahama to direct an immediate and comprehensive national-security assessment before construction progresses to a stage where any necessary changes to the project could become difficult or costly.

The petition was copied to the Chief of Staff, Minister for Defence, Minister for the Interior, National Security Coordinator, Chief of the Defence Staff, Inspector-General of Police, Director-General of the Ghana Civil Aviation Authority, Managing Director of Ghana Airports Company Limited and chairpersons of relevant parliamentary committees.