Mahama encourages VRA, says Akosombo fire offers fresh start to modernise facility

President John Dramani Mahama has commended the Volta River Authority (VRA) for its swift response to the recent fire outbreak at the Akosombo control room, describing the incident as a difficult but important opportunity to modernise critical national infrastructure.

Speaking during a visit to assess the damage and ongoing recovery works at the Akosombo Dam on April 30, President Mahama expressed sympathy over the disruption caused by the fire but praised the technical team for their quick and effective response in restoring power generation activities.

He noted that the situation had temporarily affected electricity supply across parts of the country, but credited VRA engineers and staff for their professionalism and resilience in managing the crisis.

“We heard about the sad event — the fire outbreak in your control room — and of course, Ghanaians have felt the impact,” he said, adding that he was not surprised by the authority’s ability to respond effectively.

“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.

The former president described the incident as unfortunate but potentially transformative, especially given the age of the affected infrastructure. He noted that the control room, which has been in operation since 1964, had served the country for decades and was due for modernization.

“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 remarked.

He emphasized that the incident should not only be viewed as a setback but also as an opportunity to rebuild and upgrade the facility with more advanced technology that would serve future generations more efficiently and reliably.

“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.

President Mahama also provided an update on restoration efforts, indicating that significant progress had already been made in bringing the plant back to full capacity. According to him, four turbines had already resumed operation, while work was ongoing to restore the remaining two.

“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 commended the staff of VRA and partner institutions for their dedication during the recovery process and encouraged them to continue working diligently to ensure full restoration and stability of power supply.

Reaffirming government support, he assured that both the VRA and the Ghana Grid Company would continue to play central roles in Ghana’s energy sector development.

“VRA will continue to be one of the foremost institutions, together with Ghana Grid Company, and government will continue to support you,” he assured.