President John Dramani Mahama has commended engineers of the Volta River Authority (VRA) and the Ghana Grid Company Limited (GRIDCo) for their dedication and technical ingenuity in restoring the Akosombo Hydroelectric Dam to full operation.

President Mahama gave the commendation at the 2026 May Day celebration held at Jackson Park, Koforidua, in the Eastern Region on Friday. 

“And just yesterday I was in Akosombo here in the Eastern region to inspect the damage at the Volta River Authority Electricity Generation Station following the devastating fire in the Switchyard Control Room,” he stated. 

“I know many of you are concerned about the disruptions to the electricity supply caused by the Akosombo fire, but I want to share the good news that the GRIDCO and VRA engineers working together have been able to bypass the burnt-out control room and have restarted all the six turbines at the Akosombo Generating Station.  

“And so as of last night, the Akosombo Hydroelectric Dam is fully operational.” 

The President used the occasion to celebrate the engineers of VRA and GRIDCo for their tireless efforts in restoring the hydroelectric plant, describing them as a living testament to the fact that Ghanaian workers were the nation’s most valuable asset. 

President Mahama is in the region on a two-day “Resetting Ghana Tour,” which is expected to climax on Saturday, May 2, with a town hall meeting in Koforidua. The meeting will bring together students, artisans, teachers, nurses, traders, as well as traditional and religious leaders from across the region. 

Touching on the theme for this year’s May Day celebration, “Pivoting to Growth, Jobs and Sustainable Livelihoods: Resetting Ghana Beyond Macroeconomic Stability,” President Mahama said it captured the roadmap of his administration. 

He said that upon assuming office, the government’s immediate priority had been to stabilise the economy by arresting currency depreciation, reducing inflation, lowering interest rates and restoring fiscal discipline. 

“That was the message I delivered to the Trades Union Congress (TUC) and organised labour when we met here last year,” he said. 

“Today, I am pleased to report that we have made significant progress. We have restored fiscal discipline, reduced inflationary pressures, stabilised the cedi, lowered interest rates and renewed investor confidence.” 

President Mahama said although the gains were modest, they marked a decisive turning point for the economy as the country transitioned from recovery to transformation and from economic fragility to resilience. 

He stressed that while macroeconomic stability was necessary, it was not an end in itself. 

“Stability is the foundation, but it is not the house. The reset we speak of is about building that house on a stable foundation. It is about moving from surviving to thriving, and from debt distress to economic surplus,” he said. 

The President said that following the restoration of macroeconomic stability under the Resetting Ghana Agenda, government was now aggressively pursuing growth and job creation. 

He reiterated the administration’s commitment to expanding the economy to create jobs and improve living standards for all Ghanaians.