Former President John Dramani Mahama has praised the late Professor John Evans Atta Mills for his pivotal role in the transformation of the Western Region, particularly in Ellembelle, Jomoro, and Nzemaland, during his campaign tour of the region.
In his address, Mahama highlighted the visionary leadership of Atta Mills, especially in the development of Ghana’s oil and gas sector, which he said laid the foundation for the country’s future energy independence and economic growth.
Mahama recalled that when Atta Mills assumed office in 2009, oil had already been discovered in the country under the previous administration of President John Agyekum Kufuor. However, it was under Atta Mills’ leadership that the nation began to harness its oil resources for the greater good of the country.
“At the time Professor Mills came into office, oil had been discovered, but it was up to him to start the exploitation of those resources,” Mahama stated, emphasizing that Atta Mills’ forward-thinking vision focused not just on oil, but also on the emerging potential of natural gas as a key driver of national transformation.
Mahama went on to describe how Atta Mills recognized the future importance of natural gas to Ghana’s energy sector, particularly in powering the nation’s thermal plants. In 2010, the Jubilee Field, Ghana’s first oil well, came into operation, marking a significant milestone. However, Atta Mills foresaw the coming “gas era” and began laying the groundwork for utilizing the country’s natural gas resources effectively.
“Professor Mills, being a visionary, knew that gas was coming. And if gas was coming, we needed to use the gas appropriately to transform our nation,” Mahama noted.
It was during Atta Mills’ presidency that the idea for the creation of the Ghana Gas Company was birthed, and this laid the foundation for what would become one of the most significant achievements in Ghana’s energy sector.
Mahama took the opportunity to reflect on his role in completing the gas project initiated by Atta Mills. He recalled how, upon assuming the presidency, he continued the work of his predecessor and successfully commissioned the Atuabo Gas Processing Plant, a transformative investment that has significantly reduced Ghana’s energy costs.
“This gas processing plant is the single most important transformational investment in the history of Ghana. It has saved the country billions of dollars because we would have been using crude oil to fuel our thermal plants,” Mahama remarked, underscoring the importance of the project for the nation’s economic well-being.
Today, Mahama pointed out, the combination of domestically produced gas from the Jubilee Field and gas from ENI supplies almost 60% of the fuel used to power Ghana’s thermal plants, making the country more energy secure and less reliant on imported fuels.
While Mahama acknowledged the progress made, he also took a subtle jab at the current administration, noting that if the National Democratic Congress (NDC) had been in power, Ghana would likely be fully using its own gas to fuel thermal plants today, instead of relying on crude oil or external sources.
In his conclusion, Mahama called on Ghanaians to reflect on the accomplishments of the past and to recognize the contributions of Professor Atta Mills in shaping the country’s energy future, while reinforcing the NDC’s commitment to continue the vision of transforming Ghana into a self-sufficient, energy-secure nation.
By: Shadrack Odame Agayre | Metrotvonline.com | Ghana
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