The Coalition of GaDangme Pressure Groups has called on national authorities to protect local investors to promote job creation, and address rising unemployment.

The call follows an ongoing dispute between McDan Aviation Handling Services Limited and Ghana Airports Company Limited (GACL) over the termination of a Fixed Base Operation (FBO) agreement.

GACL attributed the termination to the persistent non-payment of contractual fees related to the operations of McDan Aviation Handling Services Limited at Kotoka International Airport, a claim the company has denied.

Addressing a news conference in Accra on Saturday, the coalition said the dispute was a test of investor confidence in Ghana.

Nii Adu Ardey, speaking on behalf of the coalition, said the situation raised broader national concerns about fairness, transparency and the protection of local investments.

“This matter goes beyond a simple contractual disagreement. It raises critical national questions about investor confidence, fairness and the protection of indigenous enterprise in Ghana,” he said.

Mr Ardey said that following the relocation of airport operations to Terminal 3 at Kotoka International Airport, the former facility was left largely unused and deteriorating.

He claimed that McDan Aviation subsequently invested heavily to redevelop the abandoned structure into the country’s first private FBO terminal.

Mr Ardey said the company invested several million dollars to transform the facility into a modern terminal intended to support business aviation and position Ghana as a regional hub for international executive travel.

“Building a private jet terminal is not a small undertaking. Instead of undermining such efforts, national stakeholders should explore ways to strengthen and expand them,” he said.

Mr Ardey claimed that the private jet terminal had attracted international business aviation traffic and helped position Ghana as a gateway for regional commerce.

He rejected GACL’s claim that McDan Aviation owed outstanding fees, noting that information available to the public suggested the company had honoured its rental obligations under the licence agreement for several years.

Mr Ardey said that although there was a delay in the company’s annual rent payment in 2025, reports indicated that the arrears had since been settled.

He expressed concern about GACL's termination of the licence agreement and developments surrounding the facility, including reports that company equipment was removed from the premises after a court injunction had reportedly been served on the airport authority.

“While the courts will ultimately determine the legal merits of the case, the broader national issue remains clear: Ghana must remain a country where private investment, especially from indigenous entrepreneurs, is protected and encouraged,” he said.

Mr Ardey warned that if Ghanaian investors began to feel unsafe or vulnerable in their own country, it could have serious consequences for national development and economic growth.

“As a nation seeking to attract both domestic and foreign investment, Ghana must be careful not to create an environment where successful entrepreneurs become vulnerable targets.

“When investors commit millions of dollars to strategic sectors such as aviation, they must be assured that their investments will be treated fairly and protected under the law,” he stressed.

Mr Ardey also pointed to what he described as a troubling public perception that successful businesses in Ghana sometimes faced resistance once they grew significantly.

“Whether one personally supports the businessman behind the McDan Group or not, it cannot be denied that the company made a substantial contribution to Ghana’s aviation sector,” he said.

Mr Ardey urged government leadership to take steps to reassure local investors that their contributions to national development would be protected.

He also called for calm and due process in the handling of the dispute, noting that the outcome could influence how other Ghanaian entrepreneurs perceived the safety of investing heavily in the country.

“Today it may be McDan Aviation. Tomorrow it could be another Ghanaian entrepreneur who has dared to invest in the future of this country,” he said.