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 in Accra, pending a comprehensive national-security assessment.
The petition, dated September 23, 2026, follows President Mahama’s September 15 sod-cutting ceremony for the mixed-use development being undertaken by Sentuo Group at 10 Giffard Road in the Airport Residential Area.
According to the petition, Awingobit is not opposed to foreign direct investment or Chinese investment in Ghana. His concern, he says, is specifically the strategic location, scale and configuration of the proposed development and its proximity to military, defence, national-security and aviation installations.
The project is expected to comprise approximately 582 premium apartments, a 600-room hotel, a 2,500-capacity conference facility, healthcare facilities, a modern shopping mall, landscaped gardens, parking facilities and other commercial and leisure amenities.
Awingobit argues that the scale of the development requires scrutiny beyond ordinary planning and commercial considerations. He has raised questions about whether the Ghana Armed Forces, Ministry of Defence, national-security authorities, Ghana Police Service, Ghana Civil Aviation Authority and other relevant institutions have conducted a comprehensive assessment of the project’s location, proposed height, design, technology infrastructure and access arrangements.
The petitioner also wants authorities to examine potential security issues involving surveillance systems, CCTV infrastructure, cybersecurity, security-control rooms, data storage, access to restricted areas and the vetting of personnel who may work within the completed complex.
He further called for a review of the project’s proposed residential and commercial tenancy arrangements, including beneficial-ownership checks, source-of-funds due diligence and mechanisms for identifying and vetting occupants and corporate tenants.
In his petition, Awingobit cited examples from other jurisdictions involving criminal investigations connected to properties and commercial facilities, while stressing that such cases should not be interpreted as evidence against Chinese investment generally.
He said the broader lesson Ghana should draw is the importance of due diligence, tenant screening, cybersecurity controls, financial scrutiny, law-enforcement access and continuous security oversight when major private developments are located near strategic national assets.
Among his requests, Awingobit is asking President Mahama to suspend further construction pending a multi-agency security assessment involving relevant defence, security, aviation and government institutions.
He is also calling for a strategic land-use review to determine whether the project’s proposed height, density, orientation and location are compatible with the security requirements of nearby defence, government and aviation installations.
The petition further requests a counter-surveillance assessment, enhanced beneficial-ownership and source-of-funds checks, security vetting arrangements, cybersecurity safeguards and appropriate oversight by Ghanaian security agencies.
Awingobit emphasised that his petition is not an objection to the US$1.3 billion investment itself. He said his concern is whether the specific location and configuration of the development have received sufficient national-security scrutiny before construction advances to a stage where modifications could become difficult or costly.
The Sentuo Airport Garden City project was officially launched on September 15, 2026, with President Mahama describing the development as part of the transformation of the Airport enclave. Government has also highlighted the need for local participation, including opportunities for Ghanaian engineers, architects, artisans, technicians, suppliers and businesses.
The petition now places the project’s strategic location and security implications before the President and relevant state institutions for consideration.
