The overlord of Eastern Nzemaland in Western Region, King Kaku Ackah III, has appealed to President Akufo-Addo to develop the Western Region with his numerous social intervention programmes.

Western Region is blessed with so many natural resources such as manganese, timber, bauxite, cocoa, rubber and recent discovery of oil and gas in commercial quantity.

But addressing the media at Awiaso near Aiyinasi in Ellembelle District, King Kaku Ackah III (Tumivole) said although the aforementioned natural resources were contributing more than 90 per cent to the national income, the region was only benefiting less than 1% from them.

On oil and gas, King Kaku Ackah III stated that there were serious brutal effects associated with the exploration.

"The entire coastal economy of Shama, Sekondi-Takoradi, Dixcove, Cape Three Point, Princes Town, Axim, Esisma up to Half Assini collapsed because the fish species in the vicinity have depleted seriously. Simply put, it is like operating a musical instrument in the forest and at the same time expecting a hunter to make game in the same area", he said.

He continued, "Recently, our President conceded that the free senior high school project would not fail because of the anticipated reliance on oil and gas revenue from the Jubilee Field.

"My brothers and sisters, during the Nkrumah era, it is on record that Ashanti was the leading producer Region of cocoa. The Ashantis were not happy that the producer price of cocoa had been slashed by Kwame Nkrumah in order for him to make sufficient funds for his accelerated education programme which had made him to set up the Ghana Education Trust. The fight for their rights led to the formation of the National Liberation Movement (NLM) by the Ashantis. It did not end there. Nkrumah was forced to create a Cocoa Marketing Board Scholarship across-board for all the children of cocoa farmers.

"With the wisdom of hand sight I would implore the Government of Ghana to set up a committee to be tasked with the modalities of how to give back to the people of the oil-producing area; Shama, Ahanta, Axim, Nzema land special stake for our children, our fishermen and royalties for the stools," he intimated.

In this regard, the King of Nzemaland called on the Akufo-Addo-led government to construct more schools and hospitals in the area.

He also urged the government to create jobs for unemployed teem youth in the region.

He emphasized that "We want to see organizations such as Ghana National Gas Company, Lands Commission and GNPC encouraging foreign investors to see us the Chiefs of this part of the country to set up joint ventures without any hindrance from them".

"We want to see an end to unwarranted litigation over lands in our area so that our resources can be channelled into areas that would benefit our people and our country", he promised.

King Kaku Ackah III, therefore, seized the opportunity to commend President Akufo-Addo government for re-naming the University of Mines and Technology after Paa Grant.

He also acknowledged former President Jerry John Rawlings for the honour he did by re-naming the University of Science and Technology after the person who established it, Dr. Kwame Nkrumah.

"He concluded his statement by also acknowledging late President John Evans Atta Mills and former President John Mahama, "We also salute President Atta Mills of evergreen memory for ensuring that Kwame Nkrumah's statue would be standing at the African Union (AU) Headquarters in Addis Ababa. Last but not the least, we adore President John Mahama for turning the Kwame Nkrumah Circle in Accra into possibly the longest interchange in West Africa. God bless you all".