Heroes of the Grid: Mahama Rewards Engineers and Brave NSS Person | Discuss Ghana

Following his personal inspection of the Akosombo Dam recovery works today, Thursday, April 30, 2026, President John Dramani Mahama moved beyond just words of encouragement, announcing tangible rewards for the team that prevented a total national blackout.

The President was particularly moved by the story of a female National Service Scheme (NSS) person (whose name is being withheld for privacy) who reportedly stayed at her post during the height of the April 23 fire to help engineers manually isolate critical systems.

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Recognition for a Young Patriot

Automatic Employment: In a rare gesture, President Mahama recommended her for automatic, permanent employment within the Volta River Authority (VRA) upon the completion of her service year. "We saw a young lady who didn't run when the sparks flew. She stood her ground and helped the seniors save the switchyard. That is the kind of spirit we need in our public service," the President noted.

The "Bravery" Citation: He directed the Energy Ministry to prepare a formal commendation for her, noting that her actions likely saved millions of dollars in additional equipment damage.

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MTN Ghana’s GH¢1 Million Thank You

Energy Minister John Jinapor joined the President to announce a massive corporate reward for the entire technical team involved in the "miracle" restoration of four out of six power units.

The Reward: MTN Ghana has committed GH¢1 million worth of airtime and data credits to be distributed among the engineers and technicians at Akosombo and the GRIDCo substation.

Keeping Families Connected: The Minister explained that the reward is meant to help these workers stay in touch with their families, as many have been sleeping on-site and working 24-hour shifts since the fire occurred.

Corporate Solidarity: Minister Jinapor praised MTN for stepping up, saying, "Our engineers are the silent heroes of this crisis. While we were in the dark, they were in the heat. This GH¢1 million gift from MTN shows that the private sector appreciates their sacrifice."

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Restoration Status Update

As of this evening, the Minister confirmed that four units are fully operational, providing 550MW back to the national grid. Work is currently focused on the final two units, which were more severely affected by the control room smoke damage.