Second quart 2021

NEWS

NewsletterVolume25:AprilMayJune2021

INTHISISSUE

→Contd.onpg.2 p15p7p9

heChiefExecutiveoftheTVolta River Authority(VRA), Mr. EmmanuelA n t w i D a r k w a h a spledged the Authority'spreparedness to rise above theprevailing challenge in the powerutility sector by building a resilient,viableandresponsible“NewVRA”,whichwouldcontinuouslydeliveronits mandate of providing reliableenergy solutions for the electricitydependentpublic.According tohim,VRAhasbegunanambitiousmovetodrivedownthecost →Contd.onpg.3

CHIEFEXECUTIVEASSURESASVRACELEBRATES60THMILESTONE

INTHISISSUEp12p5p10

Keepyourcomputingdevicessecured

p15

Secureyournetwork.AvoidusingpublicWiFinetwork

SecurityTipsonWorkingfromHome

of power in the country throughinnovation and digitization, whichwould help boost economic activitiesand ensure the competitiveness ofGhanaianbusinesses.“Innovationanddigitizationwillbethemajorenablersofthebusiness,sowearepreparingourselvesfortheadventof the Internet of Things (IoT),Artificial Intelligence (AI) and othertechnology advancements that willmanifestglobally,”hestated.TheChiefExecutivemadethisknownwhen he was addressing a crosssec t ion of s ta ff , s takeholders ,representatives of sister util i tycompanies and the VRA RetireesAssoc ia t ion to mark the 60 thanniversarycelebrationoftheVRAinAccra.Theevent,whichwasheldunderstrictCOVID19protocolmeasures,wasonthetheme:“Celebrating60yearsinthePower Business: Our Legacy, OurTHVRAPLANTS600TREESTOMARK60 ANNIVERSARYCELEBRATIONSnpartnershipwiththeMinistryofILandsandNaturalResources,theManagement of the Volta RiverAuthority (VRA) joined millions ofGhanaians in planting Five milliontrees as part of the “Green GhanaAgenda”.Thepartnershipwasenactedwithasymbolic tree planting ceremony,heldat theforecourtof theElectroVoltaHouseonJune11,2021,thedaywas marked as the “Green GhanaDay”.Theexercisesawtheplanting

‘WESHALLRISETOTHECHALLENGE'‘WESHALLRISETOTHECHALLENGE'‘WESHALLRISETOTHECHALLENGE'

NPGcollaborateswithGNAforeffectiveNuclearPowerCommunicationCovid19vaccination615AccraTemaStaffvaccinatedDr.ValmontHeadsMedicalTeamtodeliverSiameseTwins

TheChiefExecutiveandotherManagementStaffcuttingtheAnniversarycake.

p20VRAsignsMoUwithGhanaNavytoprotectAkosomboandKpongDams

VRANEWS →Contd.frompg.1

2 |[email protected]/www.vra.com

renewable projects and other lowcarbon power generation technologiesto maintain the country's low andacceptablecarbonfootprint”,hestated.Director, E&SDD, Mr. Ben SackeynotedthatVRAwascomplementingthenationwide afforestation effort byplanting trees in various parts of thecountrywhereitoperates,includingitscatchmentareas.Hementionedthat,“becauseweare60this year, we decided to multiply thenumber of trees by 10 and plant 600

trees. In Akosombo, we are planting400 whilst the other 200 will bedistributedinotherareas.”The 600 tree species used in theexercise, were nursed, harvested anddistributedbytheTreeNurseryUnitofthe Environment & SustainableDevelopment Department (E&SDD).Thesetrees,symbolizetheAuthority'sc o n t r i b u t i o n t o t h e N a t i o n a lAfforestationAgendaand its targetofattaining environmental sustainabilityin both operational and economicsectors.

of10PolyalthiaLongifolia(MastTrees),of the estimated600 tree species to beplantedatallworklocations.TheGreenGhanaDayinitiative,whichwas incorporated into the VRA at 60Anniversarycelebrations,hadthetheme:“VRAat60: Investing in theGreeningGhana Init iative for Energy andEnvironmental Sustainability”, wasobserved across the Authority's worklocations inAkosombo,Akuse,Kpone,TemaandAboadze.Addressingaminidurbar inAccra, theChiefExecutiveofVRA,Mr.EmmanuelAntwiDarkwa, said the Green GhanainitiativetiedintotheAuthority's“VoltaGorge Reforestat ion Programme(VGRP)”, aimed at forest coverrestorationthroughtheprotectionoftheexistingvegetationandrestockingofalldegradedlands.He said the initiative was importantbecause sustainable development waskey to theAuthority's business and itsstakeholders, adding that issues ofclimate change and environmentalprotectionwereofutmostimportancetotheorganization.HedetailedthattheVGRPconsistedof23 re fo res ta t ion p ro jec t s be ingimplementedin23ripariancommunitiesalongboththeEasternandWesternbanksof theVoltaGorge in theAsuogyamandistrict. “We have so far covered asubstantial amount of area with newvegetative cover consisting of bothplantationandnaturalforest”,hesaid.He said the Authority owed it aresponsibilitytothepublictooperateandensurethatallwaterresourcesystemsinthecountry,particularlytheVoltaRiversystem,waskeptpristineandmanagedinasustainablemanner.TheChiefExecutivereiteratedthat, inconsolidating our role as the premierpower generator in the country, theAuthority would lead efforts towardsbuilding clean, financially resilient andmore environmentally efficient andsustainable power generation systems,thatwouldprovideasafeguardforfuturegenerations.“Thisiswhywecontinuetoembark on significant investments in

THVRAPLANTS600TREESTOMARK60 ANNIVERSARYCELEBRATIONS

VRANEWS

[email protected]/www.vra.com|3

Future”, and observed across all VRAworklocations.Mr. AntwiDarkwa said digitizationwould facilitate the integration of theother sources of clean energy intoGhana'spowergenerationmixandwillhelp the VRA better monitor andmaintain its generation assets forimproved, stable and reliable poweroperations. He added that, “We see afutureforclean,costefficient,diversifiedsourcesofenergymainlythroughsolar,windandbiomass.”He mentioned that Emobility, whichencompasses the use of fully electric,conventional hybrid, plugin hybrid, aswellashydrogen,tofuelvehicles,offeredanother business opportunity for theVRAtoexplore.“Intheshortterm,VRAwould establish charging stations forelectricvehiclesacross thecountryandexplore the means of establishing anassemblingplantforelectricvehiclesinthenearfuture.”HesaidtheAuthoritywasembarkingonnumerousprojectssuchasconvertingtheAkosomboTownship into a smart city.He detailed that, “as part of ourdigitizationdrive,VRAhascommenceda project to convert Akosombo into a'SmartCity'bytransformingittobecomethetechnologyhubofthecountry.”Apart from that, he said, theVRAwasalsoworkingonarooftopsolarprojectatits Head Office inAccra to serve as a

precursortotheestablishmentofsolarparksandrooftopsolarfacilitiesintheAkosombo, Aboadze and Akuseenclaves.Already, he said, the Authority hadembarked on a number of renewableprojectstomeetthenationaldemandinanenvironmentallysustainablemanner.Theprojects,hesaid,includedthe60M e g a w a t t ( M W ) P w a l u g uMultipurposeDamProject,whichhad

an additional solar component of50MW,the19.6MWKaleo/Lawrasolarplant and a wind project inAda andAnloga.He acknowledged the support andc o o p e r a t i o n o f s u c c e s s i v egovernments, stakeholders, Staff(present and retired), sister powerutilities, the media, diplomatic corpsand the general public towards thesuccessofVRA'sbusinessoverthepastsixdecades.HeassuredstakeholdersoftheAuthority'scommitmenttoexpandasanengineof rapid industrializationandelectrification.In their goodwill messages, theManaging Director of the ElectricityCompanyofGhana(ECG),Mr.KwameAgyemanBudu;ChiefExecutiveoftheGhanaGridCompany(GRIDCo),Ing.JonathanAmoakoBaahandMr.MosesTawiah of the Northern ElectricityDistribution Company (NEDCo),congratulated VRAon the successeschalked in the past 60 years, andencouraged the leadership to remaindedicated to the development of thepower sector by maintaining itsleadershiprole.

‘WESHALLRISETOTHECHALLENGE'...→Contd.frompg.1

Mr.AntwiDarkwaaddressingtheaudience.

TheExecutivesapplaudingafterthecakecutting.

VRANEWS


heChiefExecutiveoftheTVolta River Authority(VRA), Mr. EmmanuelAntwiDarkwa, has beenn amed ' CEO o f t h eDecade' in the Power Sector by theChief Executives Network Ghana at

ANTWI‑DARKWAWINSTOPCEOAWARDMichaelDanso,CA&ER,Accra

the5thGhanaCEOSummitorganisedinAccrarecently.He received theCEOof theDecadeAward (Business Person of theDecade) –Energy/ Power Sector, inrecogni t ion of h is invaluable

contributions to the energy sectorthroughhisactiverolesinVRAwherehe has championed a consciouschange in the Authority's businessmodelandorganisationalmindsettoensure improved operational andprojectimplementationefficiencies.The CEO of the Decade Award iscreated tohonouran individualwhohassuccessfullyachieved,toiledandcontributedtoorganizationalsuccessthrough a lifetime commitment tobusinessandthecountry'seconomy.Sinceitsinceptionfiveyearsago,theGhanaCEOSummitannuallybringstogetherBusinessLeaders,HeadsofStates and CEOs to deliberate andhelp unlock Ghana's economicpotential by offering concrete,innovativeandactionablesolutionstobuildthecountryandbusinessleaders.Thisyear'seventwasorganizedonthetheme; 'Digital Transformation:PoweringBusiness andGovernmentReset for PostPandemic EconomicResilience–APublic/PrivateSectorDialogue'.Mr.AntwiDarkwareceivinghisawardfromtheFirstDeputyGovernoroftheBankofGhana,Dr.MaxwellOpokuAtariasDr.ErnestKofiAbosti,DeanofUPSALawSchoollookson.

‘WESHALLRISETOTHECHALLENGE'...→Contd.frompg.1


VRANEWS 'PWALUGUDAMCONSTRUCTIONTOCOMMENCEAFTERDUEPROCESSESARECOMPLETED'‑E.DOSAFOPMPDTeamT h e D e p u t y C h i e fExecutive,Engineeringand Operations (DCE,E&O)oftheVoltaRiverAuthority (VRA), Ing.Emmanuel DankwaOsafo,hasservednoticethatthecivilconstruction work of the PwaluguMultiPurpose Dam and Irrigationproject, would officially commenceafter all legitimate processes andengagementsarecompleted.Hedisclosedthat“wehavespentsometime in designs, data collection andsurveys,amongothersandwewouldbeliaising with other state agencies todiscuss the resettlement of peoplepresently occupying the area thatwouldbecoveredbythereservoir.”“So the project has started.We havecomeoutwithanEIA,aResettlementActionPlan(RAP)todiscusswithallstakeholders, but construction of the

dam itselfwill startwhenwe finishwith all these processes. If alldocumentation and settlements arecompleted, and the land is acquiredthrough legitimatemeans, theactualconstructionofthedamwouldstart.”Ing.Osafomadethisknownwhenhewas add r e s s i ng s t akeho lde r sincluding technocrats, traditionall e a d e r s , s e c u r i t y p e r s onn e l ,j o u r n a l i s t s among o t h e r s i nBolgatanga during a Stakeholder'sValidationMeetingonEnvironmentalImpactAssessment (EIA) report onthePwaluguMultiPurposeDamandIrrigationproject.Hetoldthestakeholdersthatthefactthatactualconstructionofthedamhadnotbegundidnotmeanthatnothingwasbeingdoneon theproject. “Forprojects of this nature, the first andsecondyearsareusedfordesignandsurvey activities, which largely

determinehowtheprojectwill lookand which communities fall withintheprojectarea.”Henotedthattheprojecthadfourkeyobjectives, the capacity to generate59.6 Megawatts (MW) of hydropower, 50MW of solar power,develop irrigation potential for thecultivationof25,000hectaresoflandanddevelopfisheriesresourcesoftheWhite Volta and the floor controlelement.“For flood control, we know theperennialproblemsthatpeopleintheUpperEastRegionhaveconcerningflooding,especiallyduringtherainyseason.Itisouraimthatbythetimewefinishwiththeconstructionofthedam,wewillmitigateitasmuchaspossible,”heindicated.The Upper East Regional Minister,Hon. Stephen Yakubu, expresseds a t i s f a c t i o n a b o u t V R A ' scommitment towards processes thatwillleadtotheactualconstructionofthe project, saying that, “I amrefreshedby theassurance fromtheVRAthatthecompletionoftheEIAreportwillenabletheaccelerationofphysicalworkontheproject.”Hesaidtheprojectwasoncourseandremainedthe“gamechangerforthesocial and economic transformationofNorthernGhanaandeverythingisbeingdonetobringthattofruition.”Accordingtohim,theevidenceofthecommitmentof thegovernmentandVRA, is demonstrated through thestakeholderforumonEIAandRAP,which aim at engaging relevantregionalagenciesincludingtheEPA,ForestryCommission,GIDA,DCEsandMCEs,NADMO among otherswho a r e k e y p l a y e r s i n t h eimplementationoftheproject.

Ing.E.DOsafoaddressingthemeeting.

VRANEWS


VRAEAGERTOPOWERGHANA'SDIGITALAGENDAWITHCLEANANDSUSTAINABLEENERGYMichaelDanso,CA&ER,Accra

ManagementoftheVoltaRiverAuthority(VRA)h a s g i v e n a fi rma s s u r a n c e o f t h eAuthority' continuouscommitment to supporting Ghana'sDigital transformation agenda towardsthegrowthofthelocaleconomy.“Ghana'sDigital transformation agendawill obviously lead to increasedelectricity demand. As the nation'sstrategic and pioneering electricitygenerator,VRAhasplanstosupportthislaudablevisionwithaffordable,reliable,cleanandsustainableenergy.”TheDeputyChiefExecutive,Finance,ofVRA, Dr. Ebenezer Tagoe gave thisassurance when he was addressinggovernment officials, business leadersand corporate executives on the topic:“PoweringGhana'sDigitalAgendawithCleanandSustainableEnergy”,onbehalfof the Chief Executive,Mr. EmmanuelAntwiDarkwa at the 5th Ghana CEOsSummitinAccra.The annualGhanaCEOsSummit is anassembly of decision makers, CEOs,headsof institutions,business leaders,entrepreneursaswellas investorsandambassadors to unravel Ghana'seconomic potential by offeringconcrete, innovative and actionablesolutions.

Thisyear'seventwhichwasorganizedonthetheme:“DigitalTransformation:Powering Business and GovernmentReset for a PostPandemic EconomicResilience. A PublicPrivate SectorDialogue”, served as an avenue tochampion privatesector led growth,and discussions around innovativepublic policies and best growthorientedbusinesspracticestohelpthecountry build resilient companies andoutstandingCEOs.Addressing the gathering, Dr. Tagoenoted thatVRAhas a track record ofreliablepowersupplyoverthepastsixdecades, which has championed thesocioeconomic development of thecountry.“Wehavedonethisfor60yearsand look forward topartneringpublicandprivate institutions tohelpGhanarealize its digital transformationagenda.”Heunderscoredthat“VRAhasatrackrecord of successfully implementingdigitizationinitsadministrativeprocessas part of the road map to the NEWVRA. The Authority is currentlyimplementing a 5year digitizationstrategy for the period of 2021 2025and is on the verge of rolling out aDigitalTransformationandInnovationProgramme.”He said using clean and sustainableenergyinpoweringGhana'sdigitizationa g e n d a , w i l l b r i n g o n b o a r denvironmental, social and economicbenefits to the economy.Adding that,clean and sustainable energy wouldresult in the avoidance of greenhouseemissions and contribute to globaleffortstomitigateglobalwarmingandclimatechange.Furthermore, Dr. Tagoe stated that“c l imate change has generatedworldwide discussions on alternativesources of energy. The only way toalleviatethethreatofclimatechangeistodecarbonizetheglobaleconomyby

VRAHASATRACKRECORDOFSUCCESSFULLYIMPLEMENTINGDIGITIZATIONINITSADMINISTRATIVEPROCESS→Contd.onpg.21

TheChiefExecutiveandtheVRATeamattheSummit.

VRANEWS


NPGCOLLABORATESWITHGNAFOREFFECTIVENUCLEARPOWERCOMMUNICATIONMichaelDanso,CA&ER,AccraNuc lear Power Ghana( N P G ) , t h e b o d ydesignated to Own andOperate Ghana's firstnuclear power plant, hassignedaMemorandumofUnderstanding(MoU) with the Ghana News Agency(GNA)topromotestrategicandeffectivecommunication on nuclear powertechnology.The pact seeks to, among other things,createawareness,expandknowledgeandshareinformationonnuclearenergythatwill build public trust and strengthenunderstanding on the choice of nuclearpowerasabaseloadplantforthecountry.GeneralManageroftheGNA,Mr.AlbertKofi Owusu and Executive Director,MPG,Dr. StephenYamoah, signed theMoU on behalf of their respectiveinstitutions.Inanaddress,Dr.Yamoahsaidoneofthek e y r e c omm e n d a t i o n s o f t h eInternationalAtomicEnergyAgency tocountries seeking todeveloporexpandtheirnuclearpowerprogrammewasfirmsustenanceofsociallicense,addingthatNPGwas,therefore,keenonestablishinga strong steady relationship with itsstakeholders.Mr.KofiOwusuontheotherhandgaveanassurancethattheGNAwasreadytodeploy its hardworking journalists toensure tha t the nuclear energyc ommu n i c a t i o n a g e n d a g o e snationwide.“We hope that other institutions,including state enterprises, will join

VRAGIVESITSFIRMAPPROVALTOSUPPORTINGTHISSTRATEGICPARTNERSHIPBETWEENTHENPGANDGNA...

MichaelDanso,CA&ER,Accra

VRAGIVESITFIRMAPPROVALTOSUPPORTINGTHISSTRATEGICPARTNERSHIPBETWEENTHENPGANDGNA...

DignitariesandInvitedGuestsinagroupphotographafterthesigningceremony.

forceswiththeGNAthroughastrategicpartnershiptodriveGhanatobecomeaselfreliant and industrialised nation,”he said, adding that, “I am confidentthat together we can propel Ghana'squest to ensure energy security,re l iabi l i ty and affordabi l i ty ofe l ec t r i c i ty by augmen t ing thegenerationmixwithnuclearpower.”AddressingthegatheringonbehalfoftheChiefExecutiveoftheVoltaRiverAu tho r i t y (VRA) , I ng . A l f r edSackeyfio, Director, EngineeringServices noted that, as a majorshareholderofNuclearPowerGhana,theVRAwaspleasedwiththeinitiativetoexplorepartnershipwiththeGNAtobeabletobroadeninformationoutreachontheestablishmentofGhana'snuclearpowerplant.“The VRA therefore, gives its firmapproval to support this strategicpartnershipbetweentheNPGandGNAaimed at broadening informationd i s s em i n a t i o n a n d e f f e c t i v ecommunication broadcast on theNuclearPowerproject.Letmeusethisopportunity to assureGNA ofVRA'spreparedness to equip them with theneeded information and skills tothrive”,hestated.ChiefExecutiveOfficerofBuiPowerAuthority(BPA)andBoardChairmanofNPG,Mr.FredOware,launchedtheGNA'sEnergyDesk.TheEnergyDeskinitiativemootedbyNPGistopromoteeffectiveEnergyreporting,knowledgesharing and the stimulation of publicdiscourse on Nuclear Power ScienceandTechnologyinGhana.Professor Audrey Gadzekpo, Dean,S c h o o l o f I n f o r m a t i o n a n dCommunicationStudies,UniversityofGhana, who chaired the function,describedGNA as “thewind beneaththewingsofmediahouses”,thathasalongtrackrecordofprovidingcrediblenews.


VRANEWS

60YEARSOFPOWERINGGHANA'SINDUSTRIALISATIONAGENDAANDBEYOND

EDITOR'SCORNER

hana'squesttobecomeGanindustrialisednationwas given a majorb o o s t w i t h t h eestablishment of theVolta River AuthorityonApril26,1961,undertheVoltaRiverDevelopmentAct,Act 46 of the 1961Constitution.InOctober2020,activitiestomarktheDiamondJubileeoftheAuthoritywererolled outwith the launch of the 60thAnniversaryattheKempinskiHotel.Inhiskeynoteaddress,atthewellattendedevent being celebrated on the theme:“Celebrating 60 Years in the PowerBusiness;OurLegacy,OurFuture,”,thethenSeniorMinister,Hon.YawOsafoMaafo, extol led the Authori ty 'sachievementsinthelastsixtyyears,andrightlyso.Today,60yearson,wehavebeenabletobuildonthismandateasstatedinAct46and transitioned from our wellknownhydro power generation operations tothermalpowergenerationandnowournewfocus;renewableenergy.Sufficeitto say that, our evolution in powergenerationhasalsobeenimpactedbytheamendmen t o f Ac t 46 a nd t h eGovernment of Ghana's Power SectorReform,whichnowlargelyrestrictsusmainlytothegenerationofelectricity.The restrictions notwithstanding, wehavemaintainedourstatusasanengineo f r a p i d i n du s t r i a l i z a t i on a ndelectrification.As amatter of fact, thelongevityofVRA'sexistenceisatributeto our professional excellence. Indeed,

ou r ope ra t i ona l exce l l ence i sbenchmarkedbymanyindustryplayersasthestandardforprofessionalism.Alongside the business activities, theAuthority through its CommunityDevelopment Programme (CDP) hasalso committed to 60 years ofprovidinginterventionsintheareasof:Education,Sanitation,Health,DiseaseEradicationamongothers,toimprovethe livelihoods of the persons in ourimpactedcommunities.Ouranniversary,therefore,providesusthe opportunity to reflect on ourconsensusbasedsolutionstoproblemsin our sector. It also gives us anopportunity to look forward to thefuture, learn from where we havesucceeded and fallen short, andrecommit to making an even greaterimpactinthelivesofourstakeholdersandthegeneralpublic.AsastrategicassettoGhana,wehavetravelled through thick and thin toarrive at our current destination.Wehave done everything humanlypossibletoconstantlysupplypowertoour cherished customers in thedomestic and international marketsthrough commitment, our 'candospirit',andthespiritofnationalism.Asan organisation,we are proud of ourcontribution and dedication towardsnationaldevelopmentandareeagertocontinue on that path in the yearsahead.AsstatedbytheChiefExecutive,Mr.Emmanunuel AntwiDarkwa, in his

keynote address on the anniversaryday,weshall focusonour longtermplans,andremainmindfulofourdutyto ensure that there is adequatecompetitivelypriced electricity tosuppor t i ndus t r i a l and soc i a ldevelopment of the day. As acontemporary measure,Managementi s env i sag ing Innova t ion andDigitisationassignificantenablersoftheelectricitybusinessgoingintothefuture.LetusrallybehindManagementasweprepareourselvesfortheadventoftheInternet of Things (IoT), ArtificialI n t e l l i g e n c e ( A I ) a n d o t h e rtechnological advancements thatwillmanifest globally in the near future,sincetheseenablerswillcompelustodrivedownthecostofouroperationsand remaincompetitive.Wemustbedetermined to fully embrace allopportunitiesthatwillcomeourway.Aswe reflecton lessons learnedandapplythemtofutureaction,weshouldalso be mindful that the VRA isfocusing on areas critical to theadvancemen t o f c l e an powe rg e n e r a t i o n , h u m a n c a p i t a ldevelopment, financial recovery,business sustainability and marketleadership to ensure that we do notstrayfromthepathofprogressinthefuture.Theaimistoensurethe'NEWVRA'isabletocompetefavourablyinthe emerging energy market bydiversifying and expanding ourbusiness portfolio with the view ofsustainability in all aspects of thebusiness and maintaining marketleadership.

LOADSHEDDINGISOUTDATEDSINCETHEREAREMOREPOWERSUPPLYSOURCESLIKETHETHERMALANDSOLARPLANTS

VRANEWS

[email protected]/www.vra.com|

stakeholder teamAfrom the PwaluguM u l t i p u r p o s eD a m P r o j e c t( P M D P )Directorate hasengaged the fivecommunities to be displaced by theconstructionoftheDamontheplanfortheirresettlement.Thepurposeoftheengagementswastopresent the proposed resettlementpackage and to elicit the views andconcernsoftheaffectedpersons.Itwasalso to assure them that VRA iscommitted to ensuring that theresettlement scheme improves theirstandardoflivingandthattheyreceivedue compensation for the propertiesandlivelihoodstheyarelosing.The engagements exercise took placefromJune15,2021toJune18,2021inNungu,Gubeo, Suhuluya,Kparikpiri,and Digaare and saw the stakeholderteam, which comprised officers fromVRA, representatives from Tractebel

EngineeringofFrance, experts fromthe University of DevelopmentStudies, and officials from theNorthern Development Authorityreceiveanenthusiasticreceptionfromeachofthecommunitiestheyvisited.The communities expressed theirdelightatthenewsoftheconstructionof the Pwalugu Multipurpose DamProject since they have long had tobear the brunt of perennial floodingfromseasonalrainsandthespillageofthe Bagre Dam and scanty wateraccessforyearroundfarmuse.Manager for Resettlement on theProject, Mr. Emmanuel Martey,assured the communities that theresettlementcommunitiesthatwillbecreated will be connected to thenational grid, have boreholes andwaterpointsforthesupplyofpotablewater, school facilities as well asimprovedroadnetworksystems.Headdedthatcashcompensationwillbepaidtoaffectedpersonsforthelossofland,cropsandancillarystructures

suchasfarmhuts,hencoops,kiosksetc., and capacity training will begiventoaffectedpersonstoenhancealllocaleconomicactivitieslikesheabutter processing, crop and fishfarmingtechniques,theprocessingoflivestockproductsamongstothers.Onthesubjectofrelocation,ProjectD i r e c t o r o f t h e P w a l u g uMultipurpose Dam Project, Mr.KwakuWiafeurgedthecommunitiesto suggest potent ia l s i tes forresettlementsinceitistheywhoknowtheir land best. The suggestionswould then be weighed againsttechnical considerations to ascertaintheirsuitability.Hemadethispointinthe hopes that there will be nodiscontentwhenthecommunitiesaremoved.T h e e n g a g emen t s t o o k i n t oconsideration the input from thepeople,whorequestedVRAtoensurethat the land for resettlement isacquired without conflict and thatsuitable and enough land is madeavailableforfarming,whichistheirprimarysourceoflivelihood.ThecommunitiesassuredVRAtheircooperation,highlightingtheirbeliefthatVRAwillseetotheactualizationofasuccessfulresettlementthatwillenhanceandsustaintheirstandardofliving.Senior Government and PublicRelationsOfficerforthePMDP,Mr.DavidPrah,reiteratedthattheProjectis a demonstration ofGovernment'sdedicationtoensuringthatNorthernGhana enjoys improved powersupplysystems,properwateraccessf o r f a rm a nd d ome s t i c u s e ,a q u a c u l t u r e e x p a n s i o n , a n dultimatelytheprotectionoflivesandpropertythroughthemitigationoftheNorthernperennialfloods.

→Contd.frompg.8

PMDPSTAKEHOLDERTEAMENGAGESFIVEAFFECTEDCOMMUNITIESONRESETTLEMENTISSUES

Mr.KwakuWiafe(middle),Director,PMDPengaginginhabitantsofDigaari,KparipkiriandKulunga.

PMDPTeam

VRANEWS


AKOSOMBOINTERNATIONALSCHOOLWINSBRITISHCOUNCIL'S'YOURWORLDCOMPETITION'MichaelDanso,CA&ER,AccraAkosombo InternationalSchool(AIS)hasemergednational and Regionalwinners of this year's'YourWorldCompetition',instituted six years ago by the BritishCouncil for its Partner SchoolsGlobalNetwork(PSGN).The victory makes AIS three timesnationalwinnersinarowhavingwontheclimatechangebasedvideocompetitionsinceitmadeitsfirstappearancein2019.Over the past six years, the BritishCouncil through its PSGN, has beenorganizingthe'YourWorldCompetition'avideochallengeforitspartnerschoolsw h o t a k e U K q u a l i fi c a t i o n s( IGCSE/GCSE/O and ALeve l )examinationstohelpinthefightagainstclimatechangeandotherglobalissues.The students received certificates ofparticipationwhile the school receivedthree certificates and three plaques,representing two national awards for2020and2021andoneregionalawardfor2021.At an award presentation ceremonyorganized inhonourof the school,Mr.

Chikodi Onyemerela , Director,Programmes andPartnerships,BritishCouncil Ghana, commended AIS forpresentingthebestvideoandwinningthecompetitioninarowfrom2019to2021andemergingSubSaharanAfricaregionalwinnersforthefirsttime.He said the rationale behind theinitiativeisnotjusttowinawardsbutchallenge the creative abilities of theparticipatingschoolstoshowcasetheirtalents and compete with their peersfrom around the world to help findsolutions to“our fragileworld towinthefightagainstclimatechange.”“Wearelookingforthebestinnovativeapproachtotransformandsustainourstayhereonearth,soinitiativesofthisnatureiswhatwewanttoseemore”,hestated.TheAssistantHeadmistress, inchargeofAcademics,AIS,Mrs. SarahFredaAdei,saidthisyear'scompetitionwhichhad the theme, 'Building a BrighterFuture', tasked thestudents tomakeathreeminute video of a social actionprojectthatfocusedonaspecifiedissuerelatedtoanidentifiedproblemsuchassustainable development and buildingresilience.

She sa id th is gave a fan tas t icopportunity for the students fromaroundtheworld touse theircreativeideasandconnectwitheachotherwhileproviding awindow into their uniquelives,environmentsandexperiences.Mrs.Adei who has been supervisingandproviding tutelage to thestudentsontheprojectsforthesuccessivewinsover the past three years, noted thataside the competitive nature of thechallenge,shealwaysimpressesonthestudentstoseeitasaclarioncalltofindsolutionstoglobalproblems.She indicated that, “this alwaysprovidesacompellingreasonforustoc o m p e t e t h r o u g h e f f e c t i v ecollaboration and selforganizingmethodologytobringsolutions.”In2011, shewas awarded theBritishCouncilTeacherAwardofExcellenceandwasadjudgedRegionalWinnerinInnovation inTeachingandLearning,MicrosoftPartnersinLearning(MiddleEastandAfrica–MEA)in2012.Thefivemember teamwhomade theschoolproudincluded;Messrs.JeffreyChurchillAdei,JonasKwasiBarimahAsare Boateng and Miss AnastasiaHewlett; all final year students,whereas, Miss Roberta ObiribeaAduama and Miss Akua OforiwaaOmaneManu, second year studentscomplementedtheteam.Theyreceivedsupport from Miss Princess IjeomaEmmanuel and MasterAlbertYalley,theHeadPrefect.Mr. Eric Mensah Bonsu, Director,Human Resources at the Volta RiverAuthority (VRA) who has oversightresponsibility for VRA Schoolsthanked British Council for using aneduca t i ona l c ha l l enge t o findsustainablesolutionstoclimatechangeandurgedthestudentstoworkhardtobepartofasolutiontoglobalcrisis.

Mr.OnyemerelapresentingaplaquetotheAssistantHeadmistressastheDirectorHRandtheStudentslookon.

VRANEWS


ADASTUDENTSENCOURAGEDTOMAKEGOODCAREERCHOICESLindaAppiah,CSR,Kpone

r. Samuel Fletcher,MManager, CorporateSocial Responsibility(CSR),ofVoltaRiverAuthority (VRA)hasurged students of Ada Senior HighSchool to make meaningful careerchoices as they strive for a successfulfuture.Addressing a student population ofabout500andstaffoftheschool,attheVRA EmployeeVolunteer Programme(EVP),Mr.Fletcher told themthat thecareer choice they make out of thenumerous available options will be adecidingfactortoachievingasuccessfullivelihoodinfuture.Hesaidpursuingagoodcareeralwaysrequired effective planning with clearand strong set objectives since theachievementofgoalswouldnothappenovernight.He urged them to have mentors andbuild strong networks which are veryessential.“Ifyouhaveavisionyouwanttopursue, peoplewill discourageyou,but when you become successful, thesamepeoplewillsayweknewyoucouldmakeit”

VRA in 2013 initiated the EVP as aCSRinitiativetopromotethespiritofvolunteerism amongVRAemployeestogivebacktosocietythroughteachingandcoachingof students in theVRAimpactedcommunities.T h e C SR S e c t i o n u n d e r t h eE n v i r o nm e n t & S u s t a i n a b l eDevelopment Department (E&SDD)

organizestheEVPtwiceannually bymobi l iz ing Staff f rom var iousdepartmentsintheAuthoritytotakeupa day's career guidance and teachingsessioninSeniorHighSchoolslocatedinVRA'soperationalareas.The volunteers handled subjectsi n c l ud i ng Eng l i s h Language ,Literature, Mathematics, BusinessManagemen t , Soc i a l S t ud i e s ,Economics , B io logy, Phys ics ,C h em i s t r y a n d I n f o r m a t i o nCommunication and Technology(ICT).Mr. KojoAyibor, the Headmaster ofAda SHS, was impressed with theexercise and expressed gratitude forthe time and energy the volunteerscommittedtoteachingthestudents.Heurgedthestudentstomakegooduseof the opportunities and lessonspresented by the volunteers, sayingthat, “it is up to you to identifyopportunities in the lessonsyouhavelearnt and make good use of theknowledge.”

AgroupphotographofVRAStaff,ManagementandStudentsoftheSchool.THEBESTWAYTOPREDICTTHEFUTUREISTOCREATEITAbrahamLincoh

VRANEWS


ArticleOPTIMIZINGREALESTATEASSETS…T H E P R O P C o W AY !

akingacuefromitsparentTcompany's mission ofpower ing economies ,PROPCo in small steps isstrivingto“power”therealestate assets of VRA by optimizingassetswhichovertimehaveevolvedandpositioned as commercially viabledevelopmentopportunities.The“PROPCoway”focusesonhandsonrealestateassetmanagementbackedbydeepmarketknowledgeandresearchto influence its development concepts.Thisunderlyingfundamentalapproachhashelpedinoptimizingthedemandforourassets,comparedtoourcompetitors,andretainedourpatrons.PROPCo's maiden developmentproject, The Volta Place, which was

transformed, from a desolate oldbungalowsiteinaprimelocationisatypicalexampleofthe“PROPCoway”where deep market knowledge,r e s e a r ch , a nd h and s on a s s e tmanagement backed a developmentwhich commenced with no anchort enan t bu t ach ieved exce l l en toccupancy within six months frompractical completion, compared to itspeers.Kudo s ! t o t h e PROPCo a s s e tmanagementteamfor listeningtoourtenantsandmaintainingahighlevelofcustomerserviceagainstallodds thattheCOVID19pandemicthrewatustosustainoccupancy.TheVoltaPlace isfirmlyrootedasanestablishedaddresswithin the prime Airport Residentialarea.

·GradeAOfficeDevelopment·4,000GrossLettableArea(GLA)·IncomeYieldcirca9.76%·OccupiedbymultiplehighprofileInternationaltenantstoinclude: Proctor&Gamble ErnestChemist Woodfield'sEnergy EarlyPower Sanofi BritishAmericanTobacco AfricaWorks STL CaféKwae(rooftopbar&grill)

TheVoltaPlace|AirportResidentialArea

The“PROPCoway”journeysto leafyAkuse in search of value and assetoptimization. More importantly theobjective is to help address its parentcompany's accommodation needswhilst utilizing its anchor demand toaddressthefundamentalrequirementofdemandtosupport theviabilityoftheproject.PROPCo ismostgrateful toVRAforthesupportandbelieve!

VoltaResidences|Akuse…OpeninginJuly2021!st1 PhaseGardenLodge–15standardRoomsLodgeE93executiveroomsFeatures:Bed&BreakfastAllroomsareensuiterooms.SmartTVsinallroomsModernfurnitureLoungewithgardenviewBeautifullandscapegroundsandgardens

AkuseMotelBeforeAkuseMotelAfter

VRANEWS


PersonalityProfileVOYAGEEXPERIENCEWITHCAPTAINJOHNSONGARIBAONDODIPRINCESSCredit:GraphicOnlineIfthereisanyonewhoknowssomuch about the boundaries,depthoftheVoltaLakeanditssurrounding communities, thenitisCaptainJohnsonGariba.He can simply be described as theveteranandcommanderwhohasbeencruisingsmoothlyontheVoltaLakeforthepast48yearswithoutanyformofaccidentonthelake.Evenafterhittingtheofficial ageof retirement at60 in2014, he was given a contract tocontinuetodowhatheknowsbest.He played a vital role in evacuatingmaterials for the building of majorbridgesaroundtheVoltaLake.Captain Gariba is the mastermindbehind all the exciting cruises on theDodi Princess II inAkosombo in theEasternRegion.Onceyoudecidetogoandhave funatDodiWorld,Ghana'sforemost cruising destination whichoffersauniquepackageofadventure,entertainment, history and educationon the beautiful banks of the VoltaRiver,thenyoucandefinitelynotmissthecaptainonboard.Looking smart in an allwhiteuniformwithacaptomatch,CaptainGariba offers a memorable voyageexperienceonboardthe150capacity

pleasureboat,thefamousMVDodiPrincess II, to Dodi Island, an 84hectareislandlocatedfivekilometresoff the shore of the Lake Volta. Itprovidestouristsandholidaymakerswith an opportunity to experiencenature, as well as enjoy the daringthril ls on varied water sportsequipment.OnMother'sDay,TheMirror teamtook some mothers from Accra toAkosombo for a funfilled voyagewithCaptainGaribaandhisteamandthe exper ience lef t mul t i foldexcitementonthemindsoftheguestsonboard.As a result, TheMirror decided toshare in thecruisingexploitsof thesexagenarianwhoistheleaderoftheentire vessel, whose expertiseincludesnavigation,operationoftheship's equipment andmonitoring ofduties performed by all crewmembers.

CaptainGaribadoingwhatheknowsbest CaptainJohnsonGaribaontheCaptain’sBridge.

THEREARETIMESYOUFINDSTRANGEFIREBALLSCOMINGTOWARDSYOU...

VRANEWS

14 |[email protected]/www.vra.com14 |[email protected]/www.vra.com

VRANEWS CRUISEIDEOLOGIESFor Captain Gariba who hasworkedwithalmostalltheboatsontheVolta Lake, the duties on theshipgofarbeyondthescopeofamanagement position as the shipcaptainmustbeproficientineveryaspectofrunningaship,fromshipoperation to maintenance, and inthe instance of touring ships,playinghosttothepassengers.The entire success of a ship'svoyage lies on the captain'sshouldersandhowwellheorshemanagesthecrew.“Every ship is like a woman, soalways polish it like a woman.Although itmaysoundstrange torefertoaninanimateobjectas'she',thistraditionrelatestotheideaofafemalefiguresuchasamotherorgoddess guiding and protecting ashipandcrew.Thatiswhywegivethem names of women such asQueen El izabeth , MV DodiPrincess, Auntie Dede amongothers,”hesaid.InspirationfornavigationTouchingonthemotivationbehindhimbecoming a captain of a ship, CaptainGariba disclosed toTheMirror that hewantedtobecomeaprofessionalteacher.“Asapupilteacher,onedayIleftTamalein the Northern Region to Atebubu,whichisnowintheBonoEastRegion,for an interview for admission to theteacher'strainingcollege.WhenIjoinedtheferryatYeji, Isawhowthecaptainwas steering the vessel so I becamethrilled and decided to talk to thesuperintendent and enquired if I couldalso learn to steer the ferry,” herecounted.According to him, the superintendentaskedifhewantedtobetrainedandheansweredintheaffirmative.“Asaresultofthis,IwentforaninterviewandIwaspickedasacoxswaintrainee.ThemasterI was to serve was from Ada in theGreater Accra Region. He wasn't

educatedbutwasveryexcellentathiswork.Istudiedaboutthedeck,engineandcaptain'sbridgeforthreeyears,”hestated.Afterthreeyearsoftraining,hewassentto then Ghana Nautical College, nowknown as the Regional MaritimeUniversity, based in Accra in 1976.“There, I met people from variouscountries such as Liberia, CamerounandNigeriaandIstudiedforaoneyearprogrammeandwentbacktoYejiaftercompletionandworkedwiththeGhanaHighways,”hesaid.CaptainGaribasaidin1984,therewasamerger ofGhanaHighways andVoltaLakeTransport;therefore,hestayedinYejiuntil1986andmovedtoAkosombotodate.He recalled his involvement inOperation Team 85 which had theGhanaNavyandGhanaArmywiththeircounterparts from Nigeria, BurkinaFasoandTogowhohehadtoferryforamonthtoDwarfIslandwithintheAframPlains where they were having amilitaryexercise.“The late President J.J Rawlings andlate President Thomas Sankara ofBurkina Faso were all part of thatoperation, so I had the opportunity towork with them at close range bypickingthemfromAkosombotoDwarfIslandforamonth.Ihavealsobeenonthe'OnipaNua'boat,”hesaid.“The VRA used to run hospitals inAccra , Akosombo and Aboadzeequipped with excellent facilities andprovided free specialist and generalmedicalcaretocommunitiesalongtheVolta Lake accessible only by boat,throughitsmedicalboatchristenedMVOnipaNua.IwasontheOnipaNuaaswellfrom1995to2016,”hesaid.NighttalesontheVoltaLakeAlthough the veteran captain has anunblemished record of accidents, hewasquicktosaysometimestherewerechallenges with windstorms andheavyrains.“Therefore, ifyoudon'tknowthelakesowell,youmightend

uphittingrocksortreestumps,”hesaid.Whenaskedaboutsomeofthetalesaboutspiritsandotherscarythingsonthelakeatnight,hesaiditwastrue.“Therearetimesyoufindstrangefireballscomingtowardsyouinthemiddleofthelakeatnightandtheyfinally go to land on a tree.However,I'mnotscaredbecauseIbelieve in the Most High God.Sometimes you'll be surprised toseealongpoleinthemiddleofthelake or some heaviness at somesectionsofthelakeandinstantlyIfeelit,butwealwayssailthroughsuccessfully by his grace,” heintimated.Herecountedasadsituationwhenhe lost his second in command.“We were coming from KeteKrachi and Victor went to fetchw a t e r w h i l s t o n b o a r d .Unfortunately,hewentoverboard.Iputonmysearchlightandstayedontheriverforaboutthreehourstolook for him but it proved futile.Anothertime,IwascomingfromBuipe,thecapitalofCentralGonjaDistrict in the Savannah Regionwith somewhitemen andoneofthem went down. However, hedivedandwassaved.Butmyshipor boat being involved in anaccident,thathasneverhappenedtome.I sometimes meet other smallerboats which have capsized and IhavetogiveahelpinghandontheVolta Lake many times,” herecounted.CaptainGariba,whowasborn in1954,hailsfromBunkpurugu,thecapital of BunkpuruguYunyooDistrictintheNorthEastRegion,adjacent to theborderwithTogo.He is a devoutMuslimwith fourdaughtersandtwosonswhoareallChristians.“IbelieveinreligioustolerancesoIdon'tinterfereintheirreligionandthat of my wife Comfort,” thecaptain, who is also an Alhaji,indicated.


VRANEWS DR.VALMONTHEADSMEDICALTEAMTODELIVERSIAMESETWINSLindaAppiah,CSR,KponeA team of medicaldoctors led by Dr.Taurus Valmont, anO b s t e t r i c s &G y n e c o l o g yspecialistoftheVoltaRiver Authority's Health ServicesDepartment,hasdeliveredasetofmaleS i am e s e t w i n s a t t h e A k u s eGovernment Hospital through acaesareansection.

The section lasted an hour but tookabout three hours to resuscitate theconjoined twins before they werereferred to the Korle Bu TeachingHosp i ta l (KBTH) fo r fu r the rexamination.AccordingtoDr.Valmont,thetwinswhowereconjoinedatthethorax(thechest) to theabdomenwere ingoodcondition and have separate organs

butfurtherscanswouldbecarriedoutto check for vessels they might besharingforasuccessfulseparation.HesaidaspartoftheCorporateSocialResponsibilitypolicyoftheAuthority,medical personnel from the VRAHea l t h S e r v i c e s Dep a r tmen tundertake periodic medical outreachprogrammes to provide supportservicestohealthfacilitiesundertheGhana Health Services within theVRAcatchmentareas.Dr. Valmont also noted that thepartnership was in line with theMillennium Developments Goals, 4a n d 5 a n d , t h e S u s t a i n a b l eDevelopmentGoalsaimedatreducingmaternalandneonatalmorbidityandmortality.He no t ed t ha t t he VRAGHScollaboration has played supervisoryroles in four health facilities in thezone which are normally withoutObstetrics&Gynecologyspecialists.TheseincludetheAkuseGovernmentHospital, St Martins Hospital, AtuaGoverment hospital and SomanyaPolyclinic.“Weundertakeemergencyoperativeproceduresinthesefacilitieswhenever we are called upon,” hestated.

TheSiameseTwins. MedicalTeamperformingtheSurgery.

As we pat ourselves for 60 years ofexcellence, the VRA NEWS stronglybelievesthatourabilitytofocusonthe'BRAISE'strategyandtheSustainabilityPlan,whichobligesus toworkwith aprivatesectormindseteventhoughweapublicsectororganisation,iscriticalifwe are to achieve our vision ofbecoming aModel of Excellence forPowerUtilitiesinAfrica.Toconclude,wewanttoappreciateall

our stakeholders for their continuedsupportovertheyearsandtrustthat,wewill continue to partnerwith them toachieveoursharedvaluesanddeliveron our manda te o f genera t ingelectricity to power industrializationand promote the socioeconomicdevelopmentoftheWestAfricansubregionthroughpowerexports.60YEARSOFPOWERINGGHANA'SINDUSTRIALISATION...

→Contd.onpg.2

→Contd.frompg.8

VRANEWS


NathanielEkueMensah/LindaAppiahF i v e b a s i c s choo l s i nAboadze and its adjoiningcommunities in theShamaDistrict of the Westernregion have received theirshare of the VRA 60th anniversaryeducationalandCovid19reliefitemsdeliveredbydronetechnology.The items included VRA brandeds choo l b ag s , e x e r c i s e book s ,mathematical sets, pens, pencils,waterbottles among others. TheAuthority also donated personalprotective equipment such as nosemasks, Veronica buckets and handsanitizerstotheselectedschoolsaspartof measures to fight the COVID19virus.Thedonationformedpartofactivitiesmarking the Authority's yearlongDiamond Jubilee being celebratedunderthetheme:“Celebrating60Yearsin the Power Business; Our Legacy,Our Future”.The beneficiary schoolsweredrawnfromAboadze,AbuesiandDwomo , a l l w i t h i n t h e VRAoperationalareaintheWesternregion.

PresentingtheitemsonbehalfoftheChiefExecutiveofVRA,theDeputyChief Execut ive (E&O), Ing .EmmanuelDankwaOsafo disclosedthat theAuthority, over the last 60,years has been committed to skillsdevelopment through its support toeducation in the various operationalareasaspartofmeasuresbeingputinplacetopreparethefutureleadersofthecountrytoofferqualityleadershipwhentheirtimeisdue.The Depu ty Ch ie f Execu t ive(Services), Dr. (Mrs.) I. StellaAgyenimBoatengonherpartnotedthattheAuthoritysettledontheuseofdronesforthedistributionoftheitemstoinspiretheschoolchildrentotakeakeeninterestintheuseoftechnologytomakelifeeasierforthemselves.TheGhanaEducationService(GES)Director for the Shama District,Madam Efia AmokowahQuansahwhoreceived the itemsonbehalfoftheschoolsexpressedappreciationtotheAuthority,assuringthatherofficewouldensurethattheitemsgettotheintendedbeneficiaries.

PresentattheeventweretheDirector,Thermal Generation (SBUS), Ing.Edward Obeng Kenzo , P l an tManager, TTPS, Ing. Jacob BrownYawson,HRManager,Mr.ThomasAmeyaw, Operations Manager,TTPS, Ing.GeorgeAmegashie, andManager,CSR,Mr.SamuelFletcheramongothers.In a related development, LindaAppiahreportsthatfiveschoolsintheTema and Kpone Ka tamansoMe t ropo l i t an and Mun i c i pa lAssemblieshavereceived5,000VRA@ 60 branded exercise books,mathematical sets, pens & pencils,waterbottles, Veronica buckets,brandednosemasks,handsanitizersandotherstationerybydrone.ThebeneficiaryschoolsincludedNiiOglie Model 1, Kpoi Ete KKMA,Kpo n e P r e s b y A&B , Kp o n eMethodistA&BandHanaaKKMA.EachschoolreceivedquantitiesoftheVRAbrandededucational&COVID19reliefitemsfortheirpupils.

ABOADZE,TEMA&KPONESCHOOLSRECEIVEVRAAT60DONATIONSBYDRONE

Someproudbeneficiariesdisplayingtheiritems.

VRANEWS


VRAINTERNATIONALSCHOOLMARKSAUDAYtudents,Pupils,andStaffofSthe Volta River Authority(VRA)InternationalSchoolin Aboadze marked thisyear's African Union Dayw i t h a t h r i l l i n g c e r emony t osignificantlydrawfocusonpromotingAfricaunityandsolidarity.Theeventwasfunfilledwithabuzzofexcitementasstudents,pupilsandstaffdressed in traditionalAfrican fashion,treated parents and patrons to acolourfuldisplayoftherichcultureandheritageofAfrica.Theoccasionwasusedtopromotetheunique diversity of cultures inAfricathroughactivities suchas exhibitions,culturalperformances,recitals,fashion

show and education with someAfricanlocaldrinksforrefreshment.PresentattheeventweretheDirector,Thermal Generation, Ing. EdwardObengKenzo, Shama DistrictDirector of Education,MadamAfiaAmoakowahQuansah, Mr. WillisK.M.Ampiaw,Headmasterandmanyothers.TheAUDay,hithertoknownas theOrganizationofAfricanUnity(OAU)was founded onMay 25, 1963 andsubsequently changed to AfricanUnion (AU) in 2001. The AfricanUniondeclaredtheYear2021as“TheAU Year of the Arts, Culture andHeritage: Levers for Building theAfricaWeWant”.

THEBIRTHOFTHEAFRICANUNIONSHOULDENCOURAGEUSTORE-EXAMINERELATIONSBETWEENAFRICANSTATESOmarBongo

StaffandInvitedGuestsinagroupphotograph.

Theeventwasusedtoshowcasetherichcultureandheritageofthecontinent. SomepupilsdisplayingdiverseAfricancostumes.

VRANEWS


MIRIAMDARKEISWOMANPROCUREMENTPROFESSIONALOFTHEYEARMichaelDanso,CA&ER,Accra

i r e c t o r o f t h eDP r o c u r e m e n tDepartment of VRA,Mrs.MiriamDarkehasb e en ad j udged t h e'Woman Procurement Professional oftheYear',inthePublicSector.Shewasalso named the 'Instinct BusinessProcurementLeaderoftheYear'.Mrs.Darkereceivedtheseawardsforher astuteness, strong performance

andabilitytostrengthenresilienceinthe procurement and supply chainsectorinthefaceofmajorchallengesin the business environment due totheCOVID19pandemic.Shewasamongseveralindividuals,private entities and StateOwnedEnterprises(SOE)thatwereawardedat the 3rdAfrica Procurement andSupplyChainAwardsheldinAccrarecently.TheVolta RiverAuthority was theproud winner of the 'Best inProcurement & Supply ChainCompliance(Gold)'and'Excellencein Procurement & Supply Chain(SOE)(Gold)'awards.The awards ceremony, which wasorganized by InstinctWave, aspectrumpublishing,branding,eventmanagement,technologyandmediasolutions Company, sought torecognize and promote innovation,ethics, excellence and technologyadvancement in procurement andSupplyChainservices.Mrs.MiriamDarkedisplayingherawards.

TheVRATeamattheAwardsnight. Mr.AkinNaphtal,CEOofInstinctwavepresentinganawardtoMrs.Darke.

VRANEWS


IMPORTANTFACTSTOHAVEABOUTCOVID‑19VACCINESAvaccineisatypeofmedicinethattrainsthebody'simmunesystemsothatitcanfightadiseaseithasnotcomeintocontactwithbefore.Vaccinesaredesignedtopreventdisease,ratherthantreatadiseaseonceyouhavecaughtit.AIMOFTHECOVID19VACCINESTheCOVID19vaccinesdevelopedaremeanttopreventindividualsfromgettingCOVID19iftheyareinfectedwiththeSARSCoV2virus,toreduceseverityoftheCOVID19diseaseifonedoesdevelopthediseaseandthereforetoreducedeathratesfromCOVID19ifonegoesdownwiththedisease.

TherearefourcategoriesofCOVID19vaccines: whole virus, protein subunit,viralvectorandnucleicacid(RNAandDNA).Wholevirusvaccines–SinopharmandSinovacCovidvaccineSubunitvaccines theNovavaxCovid19vaccineisaproteinsubunit.Nucleic Acid (RNA and DNA) ThePfizerBioNTech and Moderna CovidvaccinesViral vector vaccines the OxfordAstraZeneca and Sputnik V CovidvaccinesTheOxfordAstraZenecaVaccineThisvaccineisaviralvectorvaccinethatcontains the gene that encodes for thespikeproteinonthesurfaceoftheSARSCoV2virus.Oncedeliveredtoourcells,the gene is transcribed, prompting ourcells to make the spike protein. Thepresence of this protein triggers thebody's immune system to produce

antibodies to fight against the spikeprotein,whichthenpreparesthebodytofight against SARSCoV2 should itenter the body. Note that the vaccinedoesnotcontaintheSARSCoV2virusitselfanddoesnotcauseCOVID19.Research has shown it is highlyeffective.Efficacyrateof63%andover90%effectiveagainstseveredisease.Itrequires2shotstaken812weeksapart.It can be stored at fridge temperatureand is cheaper than current vaccinealternatives.SIDEEFFECTSIndividuals also commonly reportedpain and irritation at the site of thevaccine injection. According to thevaccine's safety profile within theproductinformation,themostcommonside effects include mildtomoderatesymptoms of one or more of thefollowing:

headache(52.6%)fatigue(53.1%)muscleorjointpain(44%or26.4%)fever(33.6%)chills(31.9%)nausea(21.9%)The percentages are based on reportsfromfourclinicaltrialswithatotalof23,745participants.Additionally, an allergic reaction tocertainingredientsinthevaccinemayoccur.Symptomsofanallergicreactionmayincludehives,arash,swelling,andrespiratorysymptoms.Therehavealsobeenafewcasesofanaphylaxis,whichrefers to a severe and potentially lifethreateningallergicreaction.However,anaphylaxisisaveryrareevent.BLOODCLOTSAl though COVID19 i s i t s e l fassociatedwithbloodclotsintheveinsofthebrain,currentresearchsuggeststhat there is a small increase in theabsoluterisksofclotsintheveinsofthebrain and a reduction of levels ofplateletsintheblood.In spiteof this risk, expertspointoutt h a t v a c c i n a t i o n r e m a i n soverwhelmingly a safer option whencomparedwith theriskofcontractingCOVID19.VACCINESANDVARIANTSAllviruses– includingSARSCoV2,the virus that causes COVID19 –evolve over time. When a virusreplicatesormakescopiesof itself, itsometimeschangesalittlebit,whichisnormalforavirus.Thesechangesarecalled“mutations”.Aviruswithoneormorenewmutationsisreferredtoasa“variant”oftheoriginalvirus.Whenavirusiswidelycirculatinginapopu l a t i on and caus ing manyinfections, the likelihood of the virusmuta t ing inc reases . The moreopportunitiesavirushastospread,themore it replicates – and the more

Dr.EmmanuelSowah


VRANEWS opportunitiesithastoundergochanges.Most viral mutations have little to noimpact on the virus's ability to causeinfectionsanddisease,butdependingonwhere the changes are located in thevirus'sgeneticmaterial,theymayaffectavirus's properties, such as transmission(forexample,itmayspreadmoreorlesseasily)orseverity(forexample,itmaycausemoreorlessseveredisease).• Currentvaccinesweredesignedforearlierversionsofcoronavirus,butscientists believe they should work,albeitpotentiallylesswell.• Latest research suggests twodosesofeitherthePfizerorAstraZenecavaccinestillprotectpeoplefromgettingillwiththeIndiavariant.Early lab results real life dataand

suggest thePfizervaccinecanprotectagainst the new variants, althoughslightlylesseffectively.Data from the OxfordAstraZenecavaccineteam• suggestsitprotectsjustaswellagainst theKent/UKvariant. ItofferslessprotectionagainsttheSouthAfricavariantbutshouldstillprotectagainstsevereillness.Onerecentstudy• suggests theBrazilianvariantmayresistantibodiesinpeoplewho'verecoveredfromCOVID19before.• SomeearlyresultssuggesttheModerna vaccine is effective againsttheSouthAfricavariant,althoughtheimmune response triggered may beweakerandshorterlived

WhyweshouldtakethevaccineEveryone should take the vaccine ino r d e r t o b r e a k t h e c h a i n o ftransmission, reduce risk of newmutations,reduceriskofnewvariantsunresponsive to vaccines becomingdominanttypeincirculationDoesthevaccineallowyoutobetracedbyanyone?Besides your data you provide aboutyourself,collectedforfollowupthereare no nanoparticles in there fort r ack ing and t r ac ing o f t hosevaccinated.Canthevaccinechangeyourgenes?The vaccine can only stimulate yourownbodytoproducecells foryou tofightdiseases like theCOVID19buthasnocapacitytochangeyourgenes.VRASIGNSMoUWITHGHANANAVYTOPROTECTAKOSOMBOANDKPONGDAMSMichaelDanso,CA&ER,AccraThe Volta River Authority(VRA) has entered into aM e m o r a n d u m o fUnderstanding (MoU) withtheGhanaNavytocriticallysecure and protect the Akosombo andAkusehydroelectricdamsagainstattacksby the Western Togoland secessionistgroup.TheDeputyChiefExecutive (Services)ofVRA,Dr. (Mrs.) I. StellaAgyenimBoatengwhowitnessedthesigningoftheagreement on behalf of the Chief

Executive, Mr. Emmanuel AntwiDarkwanoted that, in asmuch as theMoUwouldestablishandfirmup thealready existing relationship betweenVRAandtheNavy,itwasverycriticalt o g u i d e t h e e x e c u t i o n o fresponsibilitiesofbothparties.ShesaidVRAisa trusteeholding theAkosomboandKpongdamsintrustfortheGhanaianpeopleandanybodywhowholeheartedlyhasthenationatheart,will be very excited with the assetprotectioninitiative.

Captain(GN)BrightAtiayao,DirectorNaval Operations and CommodoreEmmanuel Kwafo, Flag OfficerC omm a n d i n g E a s t e r n N a v a lCommands, endorsed and witnessedtheMoUfortheGhanaNavy.The Head of Security of VRA,Lieutenant Commander (rtd) RichardG.N.L Lamptey, said VRA requestedthe services of the Navy to providesecurity upstreamand downstreamoftheAkosomboandKpongdamswhenthe secessionist group attempted tocapturetheKpongplantinSeptemberlastyear.In view of that, he said, the securityagencies such as theArmy andNavywere deployed as part of stringentmeasures to scale up security at theinstallations to forestall any futureoccurrence.Accordingtohim,theMoUwillserveasaguideoftheAuthority'scorporatestandard of procedure and rules ofengagementtotheNavytocarryoutitsoperationswithoutinfringingonrightsand privileges of the communitieswithinwhichtheAuthorityoperates.

TheEasternNavalCommanderexchangingthesigneddocumentwithDCE,Services.

VRANEWS


VRADONATESFURNITURETONATRIKUD/ABASICSCHOOLBenjaminYemoQuarshie&NarkieAryeh,CSR/CR,Akuse

he Volta River AuthorityT( V R A ) h a s d o n a t e dc l a s s i fi e d c l a s s r o omfurniture valued at aboutGH¢30, 000.00 to theNatrikuD/ABasicSchool,acommunitybasedschoolatNatriku,a resettlementcommunity near Akuse to addressinfrastructurechallengesintheschool.The ergonomic friendly furnitureincluded; 49 DualDesks, 13 singlewooden Desks, 94 Formica surfacedmetal Desks, 86 metal chairs, 12Kindergar ten Benches and s ixKindergartenTables.Making the presentation on behalf ofManagement, Mr. Samuel Fletcher,M a n a g e r , C o r p o r a t e S o c i a l

Responsibility (CSR), noted that thedonationwasnotonlyinfulfilmentoftheVRA'sCSRpolicybutalso,awayof giving back to the communityespecially towards educationaldevelopment.Hesaid“asweknow,thechildrenarethe future leaders of Ghana and wemust do all we can to improve theirway of learning to shape theiracademicperformance.Sittingposturehas a major impact on studentslearningandcan immensely improvetheirperformanceifdoneright.Management of VRA therefore,thoughtitwisetoprovidethesesetsoffurniturethatwillfitthechildrenandinvariably encourage a good sittingposture and conducive learningenvironment.”Receiving the items on behalf of theschool,NeneTettehAmoakoIV,ChiefofNatrikuthanked VRAforthekindgesture and charged the schooladministration and students to takegoodcareof the itemsand take theirlearningseriously.Present at the brief event wereMrs.Rhoda Arthur, Senior Community,Relations Officer, Mrs. EuphemiaAgbenyo,theHeadmistress, teachingstaff and Ignatius E. Okudordoy,Assemblymanforthearea.reducing the use of fossil fuels andintroducing more lowcarbon energysourcessuchaswind,solar,hydropowerandnuclear.”“Cost reductions and sustained policysupport are further expected to drivestrongrenewablesgrowthbeyond2022.SolarPVandonshorewindarealreadythe cheapest ways of adding newelectricitygenerating plants in mostcountriestoday.”Hementioned thatVRA developed thenation's first utility scale PV Solar of2.5MW (Navrongo Solar PV Plant) in

2013 aspart of itsRenewableEnergyDevelopment Programme. We are oncoursetocompletea19.6MWPVSolarfacility in the UpperWest Region ofGhana,whichwillbefurtherexpandedto35MW.Otherrenewableplantsalsounder various stages of developmentinclude the 60MW Pwalugu hydropower project which comes with a50MWSolarPVcomplementation,the75MWWindProject inAnloga in theVoltaRegion,40MWBongoSolarPVProject,amongstothers.VRA is also developing renewableenergysystemsonallofitsinstitutional

buildings to reduce selfconsumptionand increase its green credentials andhascommissionedstudiestowardstheAkosomboSmartCityProjectwhichisexpected to be a precursor that willassist Ghana in piloting the Digitaltransformation and Clean EnergyInitiativeinacomprehensivemanner.TheAkosomboSmartCityproject,hesaid,willbeaninnovativecitywithatechnologicalhub,smartgrids,electricmobility,highspeedconnectivity,ecoparks,SMARTMedicalPark,realtimesurveillancesystems,amongstothers.

...VRAEAGERTOPOWERGHANA'SDIGITALAGENDA→Contd.onpg.6

Mr.FletcherexchangingpleasantrieswithNeneAmoakoafterthepresentation.

VRANEWS


PROJECTEXECUTIONCorporateRiskManagementUnitPROJECTRISKMANAGEMENT(Part4)

INTRODUCTIONWe have for some time now beend e l i b e r a t i n g o n P r o j e c t R i s kManagement,withspecialfocusontheproject management guidelines asdefinedintheVRAProjectLifeCycledocument.Thusfar,risksaffectingthefirstthreestagesoftheprojectlifecyclehavebeencovered.Inthisepisode,thekeyrisksaffectingthefourthstageofthecycle,namelytheProjectExecution(Implementation) and the plausiblemitigationmeasureswillbediscussedi n t w o p a r t s . T h e p r o j e c timplementationstageisaverycriticalphaseoftheprojectlifecycle,aseventsat this stagedetermine the successorfailureoftheproject.PROJECTEXECUTIONPHASEAt the Project Execution phase, theprojectteamactualizestheprojectplan,by carrying out all the plannedactivities and construct or developdeliverablesasoutlined in theprojectplanandaddressesallrelatedmatterstom e e t p r o j e c t s t a k e h o l d e r s 'expectations, by the closeout of theproject. Project implementation canrevealnew issuesandchallenges thatmight not have been anticipated byplanners from the onset and lead tomore refined strategies, products andprocesses. Effective discharge ofrespective contractual deliverables,terms,andconditionsbykeypartiesatthis stage spells out the project'soutcomes.VRA'sprojectsarenormallyexecutedunder the supervision of a ProjectDirector/Manager or a steeringcommitteesupportedbyaprojectteamand i n con su l t a t i on w i t h k eystakeholders, such as the UserDepartment, the ProjectManagementOffice, Finance and ProcurementDepartments, and where necessary,SubjectMatterExperts.

KEYRISKSATTHEPROJECTIMPLEMENTATIONSTAGESince the actual project works arecarriedoutatthisstage,toproducetheproject deliverables, most of theunanticipatedrisksaremorelikelytooccurhere.TheProjectManagerandhis/her team are tasked to dealwithsuch incidences, while minimizingimpactontheprojectcost,schedule,scope,andquality.The following are some of thecommonrisksfacedatthisstageandtheirsuggestedsolutions:1.UncontrolledScopeVariationsResultinginScopeCreepScopecreepisanuncontrolledgrowthinaproject'sscopeatanypoint,afterthe implementationbegins. Itentailsexpansion in project features andfunctionality beyondbounds of theapprovedbudgetandtime.Itcouldbethe result of the project slowlyg r ow i n g o u t o f c o n t r o l a n dconsequently beyond its originalscope.Scopecreepdoesnot involveproper planning and approvalprocesses.Thiscanhappen,whenthescopeofaproject is not properly defined,documented, or controlled. It couldalso result from poor requirementanalysis or underestimating thecomplexity of the project. Having ahigh level of scope creep cansignificantly increase the risk of theproject going offtrack, often overtimeand/oroverbudget.Proposed Solution: Control thescope, which is the process ofmonitoring the status of the projectand scope against changes to thescopebaseline.Thekeybenefitofthisprocess is that it allows the scopebaselinetobemaintainedthroughouttheproject.

Document all project requirementswell and refer to them frequently.Theremustbeengagementamongkeystakeholders to review and approvere a s onab l e c hange s p e r t h eestablished change control processand then updating the statements ofworkaccordingly.Sticktotheprojectplanandguardagainstunnecessarychangestotheoriginalplan.The Project Manager must keep aclose watch on other factors thatcouldresult inscopecreepandtakeproactive steps to prevent it fromoccurring, or to manage it as itoccurs. When a scope change isdetermined to be beneficial to theoutcomeoftheproject,approvalandfunding for the change must besecured. At this point, the ProjectManagermustfollowtheproceduresdefined in the Project Plan toimplementthechange.Further, the Project Manager mustincorporate any agreeduponchanges or addenda in to thedeliverables produced, duringProject Initiation and Planning, toensure that all project deliverablesare in line with the revised ProjectScope.Anylessonslearntfromscopec h a n g e c o n t r o l , s h o u l d b edocumented and included in theprojectlessonslearntrepository.2. Inadequate/Ineffective ProjectExecutionRiskManagementProject risk is the possibility thatproject events will not occur asplannedorthatunplannedeventswillo c c u r t h a t w i l l h a v e anegative/positive impact on theproject.Knownriskscanbeidentifiedbefore they occur, while unknownrisksareunforeseen.Thecrystallizingofunforeseenprojectrisksinallcasescouldcausetheprojecttoexperiencescheduledelaysandadditionalcosts.

VRANEWS Projects rarelygoexactlyasplanned,because there are so many variablesthatcancreateunlimitedpossibilities.ProjectExecutionriskanalysisrequiresareviewoftherisksthattheprojectwillface during the 'golive' or executionphase.Inadequateanalysisofriskattheexecution phase could result inincreasedunanticipatedrisksandevenpossible cr is is in the project ' simplementation. Common risksprevalent in engineering projects, forexample, include inadequate plansand/or specifications, errors in costestimation, the project's scheduling,funding difficulties, procurement offaulty materials , inexperiencedworkmanship,naturaldisasters,healthandsafetyissuesandmanymore..Solution: The Project Manager musthavetheforesighttoidentifypotential'what if' scenarios and make upcontingency plans and carry outeffective risk management to identifyallpossiblerisksassociatedwitheachstage of the project and update theproject risk register and the riskmanagement plan, with the newinformation. The project team, whereapplicable,shouldconsultexpertsandpeople with experience on similarprojects for more information on thetypeofrisksthatcouldeventuate.Unlike the Project Initiation andPlanning stages, where risks wereremo t e e v en t s w i t h unce r t a i nprobabilities, at the Execution stage,

risks become much more tangible.Constantly reevaluating the RiskManagementPlanforanentirelynewandunexpectedriskisanecessity.TheProject Manager must continuallylookfornewrisks,reassessoldones,and reevaluate the risk mitigationplans.Thethreegeneralpossibleresponsescenariosinthiscaseare:If the riskoccurredasexpected, theexistingRiskManagementPlanmaybeadequatefordealingwithit.If the risk occurred in a differentmanner,orothercircumstanceshavecome to bear, theRiskManagementPlanmayhavetobemodified.Iftheriskeventwasunexpectedandunanticipated, a whole new RiskManagementPlanmustbecreatedtoaddressit.Regardlessofthescenario,however,as soon as the risk event occurs itceases to be a risk (future, possibleevent)andbecomesanissue(current,definite condition). As a result, itshould transition from the RiskManagementWorksheetontothelistofcurrentprojectissues,withtheRiskManagement Plan becoming theissuesActionPlan.At theexecutionphase,risksmustbecheckedoffintheproject risk register as activities arecompleted or mitigation actionsimplemented.

Inordertoachieveafairandequitableallocation of risks inherent inprojects, project risks should beal located to the project 's keystakeholdersonthefollowingbasis:Iftheriskiswithintheparty'scontrolIfthepartycantransfertherisk,forexample,throughinsurance,anditismosteconomicallybeneficialtodealwiththeriskinthisfashionIf greater economic benefit ofcontrollingtherisklieswiththepartyinquestionIfplacingtheriskuponthepartyinquestionisintheinterestofefficiency,including planning, incentive andinnovationand/orWhen the risk eventuates, the lossfallsonthatpartyinthefirstinstance,andIt is not practicable, or there is noreasonundertheaboveprinciples,tocauseexpenseanduncertaintytobemanagedbyattemptingtotransferthelosstothebestalternative.Contractswhichbalance risks fairlybetweenacontractorandanemployerwill generally lead to a reasonableprice,qualitativeperformanceandtheminimizeddisputes.KpongRice0543811577|0500025911|0362196362|0362196363


YoursuperqualitylocalriceYoursuperqualitylocalricewithineasyreach.withineasyreach.Yoursuperqualitylocalricewithineasyreach.

VRAboostsgenerationcapacityatitsHeadOfficewithSolarCarParkVRAhonourspastChiefExecutiveswithLiveSizedBusts

Documents

Second quart 2021