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President John Dramani Mahama has paid glowing tribute to the country�s former leaders for sustaining efforts to get an additional hydroelectric dam to that of Akosombo. Speaking at a short ceremony to switch on the first turbine of the plant, President Mahama said: �I do not intend to speak much today as this is not yet the official inauguration, but it offers me a unique opportunity to pay tribute to all my predecessors, especially to the vision of our first President Osagyefo Dr. Kwame Nkrumah who took the initial steps toward the development of this project; and to President John Agyekum Kufour for prioritizing and accelerating work on this project.� There were earlier reports that Former President John Agyekum Kufuor felt he was side lined by not been invited to Friday's inauguration. However, his spokesperson and former Deputy Minister of Information, Frank Agekum, says the Office of the Former President has received an explanation from the president, noting President John Mahama personally called Ex-President Kufuor to inform him that the official inauguration is scheduled to come off in November and the former president will definitely be invited. The initial contract to build the dam at Bui was signed under the presidency of John Kufuor, with the Chinese engineering and procurement organization, Sinohydro in April 2007.