President Mahama commissions Akatsi North District Police HQ after 12-year delay
President John Dramani Mahama has commissioned the Akatsi North District Police Headquarters at Ave Dakpa, a project conceived in 2014 but abandoned for many years before work resumed under his administration.
President Mahama disclosed this during the inauguration ceremony, held as part of his Resetting Ghana tour of the Volta Region.
He said the history of the building offered an important lesson about governance and national development, stressing that a change of government should never become the reason important public projects are abandoned.
“In every functioning democracy, a change of government should never become the reason why important public projects are abandoned,” he noted.
He recalled that during the 2024 election campaign, he had made a clear commitment that his government would not abandon projects inherited from previous administrations, describing the police headquarters as a practical example of why that commitment mattered.
“The project was conceived in 2014, and work began, but unfortunately it was abandoned for many years. It is only today, in 2026, that we are finally able to commission it,” he stated.
President Mahama said abandoned projects caused the country to suffer in several ways. He said citizens were denied benefits they should have received much earlier, taxpayers’ money already invested remained unproductive while projects stood idle, and the cost of completing such projects increased significantly over time due to rising prices of construction materials.
“Just compare the cost of cement, iron rods and roofing sheets in 2014 with what they cost today, and you will appreciate how expensive delays become. This project has likely cost several times more than it would have if it had been completed on schedule,” he explained.
He said it was precisely for these reasons that his government had taken the decision to continue and complete inherited projects instead of abandoning them. “That is exactly why our government has taken the decision to continue and complete inherited projects instead of abandoning them,” he said.
President Mahama said the new facility would provide decent office accommodation for the District Police Headquarters, and commended the Ghana Police Service for its role in protecting lives and property.
He urged the officers who would occupy the facility to maintain it properly, saying he expected the building to look just as beautiful when he returned in five years. “When I return here in five years, I expect this Police Headquarters to look just as beautiful as it does today,” he said.
Richard Aniagyei, ISD
