John Dramani Mahama, the 2024 Presidential candidate of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), has pledged to conduct a thorough audit of the Keta Port project if elected into office.

Speaking during his campaign tour of the Volta Region in Ho, Mr Mahama stressed the importance of a comprehensive assessment before moving forward with the development of a new port between Tema Harbour in Ghana and the Port of Lomé in Togo.

Mr Mahama highlighted the need to avoid repeating the mistakes made with the Boankra inland port, which has long been criticised for its lack of progress and impact. He stressed that careful planning and feasibility studies are essential to ensure that the Keta Port project does not become another "white elephant," a term often used to describe large projects that fail to deliver the expected benefits.

"We will prioritise it, and once I become president, one of the first things I will ask for is the feasibility study of the Keta Port," Mahama said. "Once we have seen it, we will let the public see it, and based on that, we can take it from there."

He further explained the need for a specialised approach to the Keta Port, considering the proximity of existing ports in Tema and Lomé.

Mr Mahama questioned the viability of an intermediate port that might end up handling the same type of cargo as Tema and Lomé, stressing the importance of identifying a unique purpose for the Keta Port to ensure its success.

"If there must be a port there, it must be a specialized port for something," Mahama added. "We already have Tema and Lomé; if we are having an intermediate port, is it going to handle the same cargo that Tema and Lomé are handling? We need to carefully consider these factors before proceeding."