President John Dramani Mahama has praised the Volta River Authority for its swift handling of the recent fire at the Akosombo control room, describing the incident as a chance to modernise the facility.
During his visit on April 30 to inspect the damage and ongoing repair works at the Akosombo Dam, he expressed sympathy over the situation but commended the technical team for quickly restoring power generation.
He noted, “We heard about the unfortunate fire in the control room, and Ghanaians have indeed felt the impact.” He further praised the institution’s capacity, saying he was not surprised by their quick recovery efforts because of the strong expertise within VRA.
“I am not surprised, because VRA has some of the best human resource you can find anywhere. When I heard they were working to restore it, I expected nothing less,” he added.
Mahama described the fire as unfortunate but also a moment of opportunity, especially considering the age of the facility. “This is an act of God. Who would have expected a control room built in 1964 to experience such a fire?” he remarked.
He stressed that the incident should be used to rebuild and upgrade the infrastructure. “Adversity brings opportunity. Now that this has happened, we can replace it with a modern control system that will serve for generations,” he said.
He also confirmed progress in restoration efforts, stating that four turbines are already back in operation while work continues on the remaining two.
“I have been informed that four turbines are running again, and the rest will soon be restored. More good news is expected,” he said.
He concluded by commending VRA staff and partners for their dedication, assuring continued government support. “The VRA, together with GRIDCo, will remain key institutions, and government will continue to support your work,” he assured.
