John Dramani Mahama News

Ghana President John Dramani Mahama has launched the start of major expansion works at the Tema Port, near Accra, according to local reports. This ambitious project involves an upgrade and significant expansion of Ghana’s main seaport. The project is a Public Private Partnership between the Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority (GPHA), representing the Ghana Government and Meridian Ports Services (MPS). The Port Of Tema Is the largest port in Ghana. Situated on the eastern coast of the country it stretches over a 3.9 million square metres of land area. The port receives an average of over 1650 vessel calls per year. These comprise container vessels, general cargo vessels, tankers, Ro-Ro and cruise vessels amongst many others.

Ghana began pumping crude from a second offshore field operated by British company Tullow Oil on Thursday, hoping the additional revenue will boost its flagging economy. The Tweneboa, Enyenra and Ntomme (TEN) field expects to average around 23,000 barrels per day (bpd) in 2016, eventually reaching 80,000 bpd along with associated gas to be harnessed to ease a domestic power deficit. President John Dramani Mahama opened the valves on the $1 billion Floating Production, Storage and Offloading vessel, the Prof John Evans Atta Mills, named after Ghana's former president who died in 2012.

The presidents of Ghana and Ivory Coast agreed on Monday to negotiate an amicable end to issues around their maritime dispute, former U.N. Secretary General Kofi Annan, who will chair the negotiations, said on Monday. "We have a deal," Annan told Reuters. A source close to the talks later made clear Annan was referring to the fact that he had been able to get the two presidents - Ivory Coast's Alassane Ouattara and Ghana's John Dramani Mahama - to talk. "This is just a start of the process. They are asking Mr. Annan to help them find an amicable solution," the source said. The two presidents will not be discussing the delimitation of the border, the source said, since that is under the jurisdiction of the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea in Hamburg.

The presidents of Ivory Coast and Ghana reached a deal on Monday in talks on a maritime border dispute that had frozen new oil drilling in a contested area, mediator Kofi Annan told Reuters. "We have a deal," the former U.N. secretary general told Reuters, as he wrapped up the talks in Geneva. He did not elaborate and officials did not immediately disclose the terms of the agreement. It appeared to have been reached quickly. Ivory Coast's presidency said President Alassane Ouattara had left Abidjan on Sunday for the discussions with his Ghanaian counterpart John Dramani Mahama. An international tribunal ruled last month that Ghana could continue developing a $4.9 billion offshore oil project in the area but imposed a ban on new drilling.

The presidents of Ivory Coast and Ghana held talks in Geneva on Monday on a maritime border dispute that has frozen new oil drilling in a contested area, a spokesman for mediator Kofi Annan said. An international tribunal ruled last month that Ghana could continue developing a $4.9 billion offshore oil project in the area but imposed a ban on new drilling. The decision by the Hamburg-based International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea was regarded as positive for Ghana and British oil firm Tullow, which leads a consortium developing the TEN field, where it has already drilled the wells it needs to start production. Ivory Coast's presidency said President Alassane Ouattara left Abidjan on Sunday for the talks with his Ghanaian counterpart John Dramani Mahama, mediated by former U.N.

Maersk Group is committed to support the expansion of the Port of Tema to the tune of US $1.5 billion, says Nils Smedegaard Andersen, Chief Executive Officer of Maersk Group. Maersk will also contribute its quota in the US$6 billion oil exploration work to be undertaken by Italian firm Eni Exploration in Ghana. Nils  called on the President of Ghana John Dramani Mahama to extend the group's support to expand the Port of Tema to nearly four times its existing capacity in addition to increasing current road infrastructure including the development of the motorway to a 6-lane. The CEO of Maersk Group said that the funding arrangements for…