Mahama Commends VRA, Calls Akosombo Fire a Chance to Modernise Facility
President praises swift power restoration, says incident opens door for long-term upgrades
President John Dramani Mahama has commended the Volta River Authority (VRA) for its quick response to the recent fire outbreak at the Akosombo control room, describing the situation as an opportunity to upgrade the ageing infrastructure.
During a visit to the facility on April 30 to evaluate the extent of damage and recovery efforts, the President expressed concern over the incident but commended the technical team for restoring power generation within a short period.
“We heard about the sad event, the fire outbreak in your control room, and of course, Ghanaians have felt the impact,” he said, noting that the Authority’s response demonstrated strong institutional capability.
“I’m not surprised because VRA has some of the best human resources you can get anywhere. When I heard they were going to find a way of bringing it back, I was not surprised,” he stated.
Mr Mahama described the fire as both unfortunate and significant, particularly considering the long-standing history of the facility.
“This is an act of God because who would have expected that a control room that has been there since 1964 would experience this kind of fire?” he noted.
He indicated that the incident presents an opportunity for improvement and future development.
“They say adversity is an opportunity. Now that this has happened, it allows us to replace it with a more modern control room that will serve this plant for generations to come,” he added.
The President also disclosed that substantial progress has been made in restoring operations at the plant.
“I have been briefed that four of the turbines are back on, and work is ongoing to bring the remaining two back online. I am told more good news will follow soon,” he said.
He further praised staff of the VRA and its partners for their efforts and urged them to maintain the momentum toward full restoration.
“VRA will continue to be one of the foremost institutions, together with the Ghana Grid Company, and the government will continue to support you,” he assured.
