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For the apostles of ethno-political bigotry who feel it is only the five Akan dominated regions alone that possess the country’s ‘resources’ and should therefore have the exclusive right to be in governance to manage them as against people from the other five ‘resource poor’ non-Akan speaking regions, they ought to start revising their notes now.

If indeed by resources the tribal and regional supremacists imputed natural or mineral resources namely, base metals such as gold, diamond, etc, or industrial minerals such oil and gas among others, then they should hold their breath for a moment.

Wa, capital of Ghana’s youngest region, the Upper West, generally perceived wrongly to be the ‘poorest’ region in terms of natural resources, has since emerged and assumed an international image.
The WA GOLD PROJECT has since made it the most sought after destination by value for money minded investors in the global commercial mining industry.

Described by industry experts as the “Emerging North Western gold province” of Ghana, studies carried out in relation to Wa’s mineral geology has so far proven that it has a big potential for commercial gold production just like other towns such as Obuasi, Konongo among others in the five resource rich Akan regions down south.

If the various prospects under the Wa project start producing, It could rival, if not surpass, its centuries long southern counterparts such as Obuasi, Konongo, Dunkwa and Tarkwa among others, your favourite, and most authoritative, The aL-hAJJ, can report.

Australian mining company, Azumah Resources Ltd, owners and promoters of the multimillion Wa Gold project has since 2009 never encountered problems in sourcing money from international investors, be it in the form of equity participation or Initial Public offering (IPO) for financing studies and development of the various prospects under the project.
Just a little of over 10% of the over 2,800 sq km concession area under the Project has been covered so far in terms of core drilling, geophysical and geochemical studies.
However, results obtained has already proven the million ounces production potential of the various Prospects namely, Julie, Kunche, Bekpong among others, under the Wa gold project as full scale production is slated for 2016.

To hear from the horses own mouth, Azumah’s Managing Director, Stephen Stones in a recent announcement has this to say. "Provisional Study results confirm a solid Project with no technical, social or environmental impediments to development, improved fundamentals such as mine-life, ore grade and strip-ratio plus operating and capital costs in-line with, if not better than, guidance provided when Ore Reserves were issued last year"

"Azumah is very conscious of the present commercial climate and prior to Study finalization it is focusing on several areas that can better position the Project for financing and development
"The existing 2.0Moz Mineral Resources highlight that any further reductions in operating costs will translate to enlarged pits and higher gold production.

“Recent exploration results confirm the 2,800km2 Project’s underlying prospectively and underpin our confidence that we will continue to increase Minerals Resources, convert these to Ore Reserves and increase mine-life".

Apart from Wa, other areas in the Upper East region such as Nangode, Bolga and Tongo and Bole, Damango and Bui areas of the Northern region are known to have proven reserves of gold under their bellies, and are yet to be fully tapped.

Ghana Geological Survey sources also indicates that the largest alluvial diamond ever found in the country which was 7.5 carats was from the Fumbisi valley, Upper East region, prompting geological experts to say that the area could be a potential source of big diamond reserves and therefore needs further studies.

Latest information about the long known Sheini iron ore deposit also in the Northern region is that, an Australian mining company after some studies established that the gold deposit potential of Shieni even far outstrips the much popularized iron ore deposit potential.
Studies on the Voltaian basin that covers a small portion of the southern part of the country and a greater portion of the Northern region a potential source of onshore oil and gas is near completion.
The Keta Basin in the Volta region is also being studied for its onshore oil and gas prospects.

It would be recalled that a former Finance Minister, Yaw Osafo Marfo, was caught on tape making a submission during an NPP council of elders meeting during which he stated that efforts be made to sensitize the electorate in the five Akan speaking regions that possess the resources of the country to rise up to the occasion of leaving the governance of the country in the hands of those whose regions didn’t have any resources.

“…You have all the resources, but you have no say in the management of your resources and that is what is happening. Your development depends on the one who has no resources,” the voice said.

“You can’t say this openly,” he cautioned the Council members, but added that they are at liberty to talk about it among Asantes.

“We should protect ourselves, we should protect our income. No one who is the source of income, the source of revenue, the source of resources allows another person without those resources the chance [to rule over them].

“It’s never done anywhere in the world. In the world over, it is the group with the most resources that rules and not the other way around,” Osafo Marfo stated.

In the estimation of the former NPP MP, “86.5 percent of resources in Ghana come from five regions: Brong Ahafo, Ashanti, Eastern, Western and Central. This is where 86 percent of the resources of Ghana come from… And the oil was also discovered in the West. It will change the formula to about 90 percent. We cannot ignore these five regions. We should not.”