VRA raises Ghana's flag high

Accra, April 4, GNA - There is no doubt that the Volta River Authority (VRA), Ghana's flagship public utility company has become one of most highly respected and well-known energy producing company worldwide because of its efficiency.

The company's great sense of ingenuity, professionalism and technical competence transcended beyond the borders of Ghana thus opening opportunities for the export of its services. In short VRA is placing Ghana on the map of international trade as far as the tertiary sector is concerned.

Following, a recent accomplished success in restoring electricity to the people of Liberia, the Authority's recognition has received another boost with many commendations that it continued to earn from countries, especially in the West African sub-region and other parts of Africa.

The Authority has received among others, invitations from the governments of Sierra Leone and Guinea to assist them in restructuring their electricity sub-sector. Some of the countries have requested even for management contract with the VRA and other auxiliary services of power generation and distribution. This is how far VRA has reached in its 47 years of service.

VRA was established in 1961 to build at that time what was regarded as Ghana's largest development project: the hydroelectric dam across the Volta River at Akosombo. Since the project's completion in 1965, VRA has operated the dam, selling electric power to Ghana's electricity company, an aluminium smelter, and neighbouring countries.

It is a well-run state company that cares for its employees, providing housing, transportation, education, and health care. The VRA is closely connected with the legacy of resettlement and the construction of modern, model townships.

In the early 1960s, the VRA resettled 70,000 people into 52 towns in the Volta Basin; some fifteen years later, when the smaller Kpong Dam was built, the VRA created another six towns. It also owns and administers two modern townships erected for the workers and engineers who built the dams: Akosombo and Akuse Township.

Commenting on VRA's international recognition, Major General Francis Adu-Amanfro, Ghana's Ambassador to Liberia during the official closing ceremony to commemorate Ghana's participation in the Emergency Power Programme (EPP) in Monrovia said: "the interest demonstrated by Ghana speaks of us and the kind of expertise in Ghana as well as making Ghana a shining star in Africa."

The Liberians, he said: "Initially doubted that the VRA officials could execute the job and even meet the deadline of July 26, 2006 and bring light to Monrovia as promised by their President. "But the joy of the first day of light in Congo Town in Monrovia is now a memory that many Liberians will cherish for a long time.

"Today any one who visits Monrovia would not only see the restoration of life in the people and businesses as a result of the electricity provided, but would also hear that the VRA has become a household name especially in the LEC."

In appreciation to what VRA did in Monrovia, Ghana's historic participation in the restoration of electricity was climaxed at a colourful ceremony. The gratitude to Ghana and, in particular, to the officials of the VRA, was echoed in various speeches at the ceremony as well as at other functions held to host the Ghanaian delegation in Liberia.

The Liberian Vice President, Joseph Nyumah Boakai said: "The VRA has done a splendid job not only in installing new power generators and new distribution lines, but also providing the manpower required for the Liberian Electricity Company (LEC) staff."

He said, two years ago when the Liberian President, Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf promised to bring back electricity in six months, little did she knew that the task was a daunting one, but hope was uplifted when President John Agyekum Kufuor promised to help and appointed VRA as the implementing agency.

Vice President Boakai said the 14 years of civil war left Liberia in total ruins, as electricity equipment from transmission to distribution lines were completely destroyed in Monrovia and other parts of the country.

"Monrovia was indeed a dark city for many years, and now we have to rebuild everything from scratch," he said and noted that power had been restored through the concerted effort of a people (Ghana) that was committed and loving.

"This is truly a relationship with a meaning. Thank you for the African spirit of brotherhood. In fact VRA has become another regional example in the area of cooperation," he said.

The first phase of the Emergency Power Programme, comprised the procurement, design and installation of four new diesel-generating sets with a total capacity of 3.3 megawatts. About 45 Ghanaians worked directly on the construction works in Monrovia with about 200 people in Ghana responsible for the engineering design, planning, logistics, consolidation and packaging of distribution materials and equipment used for the project.

Ghana's Deputy Minister of Energy, Mr. Kwame Amporfo-Twumasi, who led a delegation to witness the closing ceremony in Monrovia, said the EPP I has created the platform for growth of the Liberian power sector and commended the Liberian government for initiating the development of a new energy policy.

He said Ghana was ever ready to lend its support in engineering, training and strategic policy to Liberia as it made efforts to rebuild its hydroelectric station, which was totally destroyed during the war. A visit to the country hydro power station, called the 'Mount Coffee Hydroelectric Station' by the Ghanaian delegation showed that the plant has to be rebuilt with experts putting the cost at 250 million dollars.

Mr Amporfo-Twumasi said: "Ghana stands ready to share the lessons from our National Electrification Programme, and the Rural and Self-Help Electrification Programmes as well as our power sector reforms that have, among other things led to the creation and institutionalisation of regulatory mechanisms."

The Deputy Minister urged the Liberian people to ensure that the beautiful ceremony lived beyond its symbolism, saying: "May it remind all of us that, we have a duty to build upon what we have started and a duty to protect these critical infrastructure that are very central to the development and functional growth of any nation".

Dr. Eugene Shannon, Liberia's Minister of Energy, Lands and Mines, described Ghana's role as an accomplishment, which carried with it a clear showpiece of building healthy relationship that must be emulated by all to move the continent forward.

Mr Harry T. Yuah, Managing Director of the LEC, said the cooperation between the VRA and LEC was widely known and appreciated by many in Liberia today.

The phase I of the EPP restored electricity to three main areas of the City of Monrovia, namely, Congo, Kru and Paynesville Towns. VRA experts undertook the construction engineering for both civil and electro-mechanical works as well as the responsibility for the implementation of the construction phase.

The programme began in 2006, following an assurance by President John Agyekum Kufuor, Ghana's President to the Liberian Government to assist in her reconstruction programme especially with the restoration of power.

At the sod-cutting ceremony for the project, Ghana News Agency's report from Monrovia quoted President Sirleaf-Johnson as saying: "The three partners, Ghana, US, EC have stood with Liberia, even in the thick and thin, during the difficult times of the conflict. And in our reconstruction today they are the key partners to help us start our economic construction."

On July 26, 2006, which marked the country's independence anniversary, President Kufuor visited Liberia and together with President Ellen Sirleaf-Johnson turned the lights on for the first time again.

Government of Ghana with funding from the European Commission committed 3.1 million dollars to the 7.2 million-dollar-project that covered two suburbs in Monrovia - Congo and Kru towns. It is important to note that before the restoration of power, night Monrovia at was described as place that sounded like a symphony from an orchestra of locomotive engines. 4 April 08