The Board and Management of the Ghana Grid Company Limited (GRIDCo) have recognised former President John Agyekum Kufour for his role in setting up the company years ago.

For the role played in GRIDCo’s creation, a delegation from the company, led by Ambassador Kabral Blay-Amihere of GRIDCo, paid a courtesy call on the former President to mark the occasion of 84 th birthday.

The GRIDCo Board chairman acknowledged the former President’s instrumentality in setting up GRIDCo 15 years ago.

Following former President Kufuour’s decision to implement long-standing energy sector reforms from the late 90s to unbundle Ghana’s Energy Sector to make it more efficient and attract investment, GRIDCo was set up.

The former President was provided with an overview of the company’s progress and performance by Ing Ebenezer Essienyi since it was set up.

He also reiterated the commitment of the Board, Management and Staff to ensure the company meets its mandate in the national interest.

The former President who thanked the delegation for the gesture noted: “I am happy that the decision my government took has been a good one because the government’s concern was to take steps to find solutions for the country’s energy issues.”

The former President also recounted how the lack of synchronisation of the power systems in West Africa meant that power in Nigeria – with President Obasanjo then in power – was ready to transmit.

He noted that, power could not be supplied to Ghana then, because the grids were not interconnected. He further noted that was the beginning of a sub-regional effort to connect West Africa’s power grids.

Board Member Dzifa Amegashie read a citation in honour of former President Kufuor.

The Citation read: “During your Presidency, you drove the implementation of critical reforms required in our country’s Energy Sector culminating in the unbundling of the power sector (i.e. generation, transmission and distribution) in 2006. The diversification of the power sector has inspired efficiency, elimination of barriers to power supply delivery and securing investment in power infrastructure.”

“By your vision and actions, the Ghana Grid Company Limited (GRIDCo) was established in December 2006. GRIDCo’s role as the ‘Operator’ of the National Interconnected Transmission System commenced in August 2008. The creation of GRIDCo has enabled a reliable grid for development and improved the accessibility to electricity within Ghana and the West Africa sub-region.”