Even though about 90 percent of Ghana’s natural resources are concentrated in mainly Akan-speaking regions of the country, it is people who come from regions without resources who are governing the country, a voice purported to be that of former flagbearer-aspirant of the main opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP), Yaw Osafo Marfo has been heard as having said.

The secret audio recording was apparently captured at a meeting between the former Finance Minister and the NPP’s Council of Elders in the Eastern region.

The voice, which is heard speaking to a gathering in the Twi language, punctuated with some English, is heard bemoaning why Akan-speaking people, whose regions are rich with natural resources, are not the ones at the helm of managing those 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,” the voice said.

In the estimation of the voice, “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,” the voice added.

When Starr News contacted Mr Osafo Marfo via text messages to get him to speak about the tape and its content, he replied that he was in a meeting and could not speak.