VRA Leadership Mourns with Family of Former Chief Executive E.A.K. Kalitsi
The leadership of the Volta River Authority has mourned the passing of one of the founding staff and former Chief Executive Erasmus Alexander Kwabla Kalitsi who died on the 3rd of June 2025 aged 95.
The delegation led by the Acting Chief Executive Ing. Edward E. Obeng-Kenzo paid their respects to the mourning family which includes the wife of the late Erasmus Kalitsi and his children as well as external family members at his residence in Accra.
The Acting Chief Executive of VRA Ing. Edward Obeng-Kenzo expressed sadness at the demise of E.A.K. Kalitsi and described him as a “Legend” who had a towering influence on the evolution and growth of the Volta River Authority from its inception till date. Ing. Obeng-Kenzo assured the family that VRA will provide all the support needed to honor the memory of Mr. Kalitsi and give him a befitting farewell.
The VRA delegation also included Edward E. Obeng-Kenzo (Acting Chief Executive), John Maxwell Mbeele (Deputy Chief Executive Finance), Miriam Darke (Acting Deputy Chief Executive Services) Frederick Larbi (Acting Director Human Resource), Sophia Tijani (Manager Employee Relations/Reward Management HR), Nana Yaw Anane Binfoh (Manager Office of Chief Executive), and Francis Kobena Abban (Manager Corporate Communications & Branding).
Also present at the meeting was the President of the Retirees Association Ebenezer Doku who commiserated with the family describing EA Kalitsi as the encyclopedia of VRA who had institutional photographic memory.
Former executives of VRA were also present to commiserate with the family and offer their heartfelt condolences. The former VRA Executives included Owura K Sarfo (former Chief Executive), Eric Yankah (former Deputy Chief Executive) Emmanuel Osafo, Joseph Sutherland, George Nipah and Efua Garbrah-Sarfo.
About Legend E.A.K. Kalitsi
The late Erasmus Alexander Kwabla Kalitsi was one of the founding staff of the Volta River Project Secretariat which executed the construction of the Akosombo Dam and birthed the Volta River Authority.
In the inception years, he was primarily responsible for the planning, mobilization and management of VRA’s finances and rose through the ranks of Director Finance and then at 41 in 1971 became Deputy Chief Executive and served for 12 years in that capacity. He sojourned with the World Bank on African Electricity Companies, Commonwealth Secretariat and later as Managing Director of the Electricity Company of Ghana.
In 1991 he was appointed VRA’s fourth Chief Executive, a position he held and served until 1998. He then was appointed Chairman of the VRA’s Board. Achievements
At the Volta River Authority, Mr Kalitsi played leading roles in the planning, financing, implementation, operational management and expansion of both gigantic hydro plants at Akosombo and Kpong with installed capacity over 1,100 MW of electricity.
Under his leadership as Chief Executive, VRA achieved many firsts including the planning, development and initial operation of Ghana’s first major thermal power plant in Aboadze with a capacity of 550MW and the introduction of private sector participation in the power sector in Ghana through a joint venture between VRA and CMS Energy of the USA.
Mr Kalitsi also played a pivotal role in the development of the national transmission system and the interconnection of the electrical systems of Ghana with those of neighbouring countries namely Togo, Benin and Cote d’Ivoire.
He has served on the boards of many institutions, including the Aluminum Industries Commission where he was a member for seven years and mostly acted as its Chairman.
For eight years he served on the board of Volta Aluminum Company Ltd (VALCO).
He was a member of the Court of Governors of the Ghana Institute of Public Administration (GIMPA) where he served over eleven years and was for several years Chairman of its Finance and Development Committee.
Mr Kalitsi also participated in the work of many professional institutions.
He was a Forum Member of the World Commission on Dams from 1998 to 2000 and a Council Member of the International Hydropower Association from 1991 to 2001.
He was an active participant in activities of the World Energy Council (WEC) from 1988 to 2006.
In 1978 the Government of Ghana awarded Mr Kalitsi the National honour of Grand Medal in recognition of his services to the country. He has other national honours from the governments of Togo, Benin, France and Italy.
In the year 2000, the Ghana Institution of Engineers also accorded him the distinction of granting him the rare title of “Honorary Fellow of the Ghana Institution of Engineers”.
Mr Kalitsi has a degree in Economics from the University of Ghana, 1955. He has a Master’s degree in Public Administration from Harvard University, 1961.
Since his retirement, Mr Kalitsi has provided advisory services in the areas of Energy and Water sector development, social and environmental impact of major projects in public sector management.
May his soul full of service to Ghana Africa and the world rest in perfect peace.
