This thesis draws on an ethnographic research in Ghana to question mainstream views on decentralisation that local level institutions can be consciously crafted to enlist the participation of marginal actors in governance thereby leading to efficiency and equity in development. The research explores the everyday practice of local governance in Ntonaboma, a resettlement community in the Eastern region of Ghana by using participant observation and interviews. Evidence from the study reveals that first decentralisation is not a technical or managerial exercise but rather a societal practice taking place among heterogeneous actors with diverse interest and values. Secondly, the interactions occurring among these diverse actors are mediated through the interplay of a variety of institutions at the local level. Thirdly, the complex and dynamic character of decentralisation at the community level make the specificities of context very relevant in understanding the transformative potentials of decentralisation especially how it impacts on people and their social organisation. The study places emphasis on the application of agency, institutions and authority in local governance approaches. Evidence from the study suggests that institutionalised decentralisation inadequately provides possibilities for ordinary people to transform the nature of their interactions within the community. The thesis raises further questions about the simplistic and instrumental use of institutions in local governance approaches. The study notes that institutions are not static and do not determine outcomes but are informed by the prevailing conditions at the community level. Thus, the actions of actors and specificities of the locality do shape institutions. The study emphasises the role of existing institutions and socially embedded principles in village governance. It thus suggests that, the process of decentralisation is a political process mediated through diverse institutions and with varied outcomes for different individuals. The study concludes by exploring implications for local governance and decentralisation to making local governance pro-poor.

The study examines the contestations and conflicts over land access between smallholder settler farmers and nomadic cattle herders in the Kwahu Afram Plains South District. Current studies on the farmer-herder conflict in Ghana have emphasised the conflict between indigenous farmers and nomadic herders. This study has contributed to existing knowledge by highlighting the conflict between two migrant groups. As migrants, both settler farmers and nomadic herders are renting land and, in the process, come into conflict. The tension in the area is that both migrant groups have no ownership of land, which exposes their vulnerability to the landowners in the sense that they have no firm land rights. The study's main objective is to examine the root causes of the conflict between crop farmers and nomadic herders in the case study area of the Afram Plains. The environmental scarcity and political ecology theories were utilised to analyse the conflict in the study area. The study adopted the qualitative approach with the purposive and snowball sampling methods used to select participants for the research. The study's findings reveal that increasing land scarcity due to population growth, climate-induced migration, and large-scale land acquisition is a major cause of the land conflict. The study further reveals that, aside from the core issues leading to land scarcity, what instantly ignites conflict between farmers and herders includes crop destruction, burning of grasses, and alleged vices perpetrated by the herders. The findings of the study also reveal that the mitigation measures put in place to address the conflict have been ineffective because of corruption, poor land governance, and greedy chiefs. The study concludes that the farmer-herder conflict is complex and needs to be examined from diverse perspectives to appreciate the nuances of the conflict.

This thesis draws on an ethnographic research in Ghana to question mainstream views on decentralisation that local level institutions can be consciously crafted to enlist the participation of marginal actors in governance thereby leading to efficiency and equity in development. The research explores the everyday practice of local governance in Ntonaboma, a resettlement community in the Eastern region of Ghana by using participant observation and interviews. Evidence from the study reveals that first decentralisation is not a technical or managerial exercise but rather a societal practice taking place among heterogeneous actors with diverse interest and values. Secondly, the interactions occurring among these diverse actors are mediated through the interplay of a variety of institutions at the local level. Thirdly, the complex and dynamic character of decentralisation at the community level make the specificities of context very relevant in understanding the transformative potentials of decentralisation especially how it impacts on people and their social organisation. The study places emphasis on the application of agency, institutions and authority in local governance approaches. Evidence from the study suggests that institutionalised decentralisation inadequately provides possibilities for ordinary people to transform the nature of their interactions within the community. The thesis raises further questions about the simplistic and instrumental use of institutions in local governance approaches. The study notes that institutions are not static and do not determine outcomes but are informed by the prevailing conditions at the community level. Thus, the actions of actors and specificities of the locality do shape institutions. The study emphasises the role of existing institutions and socially embedded principles in village governance. It thus suggests that, the process of decentralisation is a political process mediated through diverse institutions and with varied outcomes for different individuals. The study concludes by exploring implications for local governance and decentralisation to making local governance pro-poor.

Within the framework of this research, the complex geological history of the Pan African-Volta basin has been systematically reconstructed. Based on a broad review of literature and new data, 5 stages of geological-tectonic development have been identified. For the first time a systematic review of the mineral potential of the Pan-African Volta Basin was executed. Known and potentially existing mineralization have been related to the geotectonic history and metallogenetic conclusions have been drawn. Based on the findings of this research, the folded thrust belt located at the eastern rim of the Volta basin has been identified as the most prospective area for the ultramafic rocks with chromite, nickel mineralization and PGEs, hydrothermal gold and banded iron formation (BIF) but this will require further work.

Within the framework of this research, the complex geological history of the Pan African-Volta basin has been systematically reconstructed. Based on a broad review of literature and new data, 5 stages of geological-tectonic development have been identified. For the first time a systematic review of the mineral potential of the Pan-African Volta Basin was executed. Known and potentially existing mineralization have been related to the geotectonic history and metallogenetic conclusions have been drawn. Based on the findings of this research, the folded thrust belt located at the eastern rim of the Volta basin has been identified as the most prospective area for the ultramafic rocks with chromite, nickel mineralization and PGEs, hydrothermal gold and banded iron formation (BIF) but this will require further work.:Table of contents Table of contents iii List of tables v List of figures 1 Introduction 5 Summary of work done 6 Acknowledgements 6 1 In the Geology and regional geotectonic development of the West African Shield 7 1.1 Introduction 7 1.2 The basement of the Proterozoic sedimentary platform cover 9 1.3 Connection of West African Shield to Brazil 10 1.4 The Neoproterozoic sedimentary sequence and the extent of the Volta Basin 13 1.4.1 Introduction 13 1.4.2 The Neoproterozoic Sedimentary Sequence 15 1.5 The Pan-African Mobile Belt 23 1.5.1 The Buem Fold and thrust belt 23 1.5.2 New defined units 30 1.6 Interpretation of the deep structure of the Volta Basin 35 1.7 Metallic Minerals 37 1.7.1 Introduction 37 1.7.2 Iron (Fe) 39 1.7.3 Aluminium (Al) 46 1.7.4 Manganese (Mn) 50 1.7.5 Lead (Pb) 52 1.7.6 Copper (Cu) 55 1.7.7 Mineralisation related to ultramafic rocks 57 1.7.8 Gold (Au) 69 1.7.9 Tantalum (Ta) 72 1.7.10 Zirconium (Zr) 73 1.7.11 Heavy minerals in sands of Paleochannels 76 1.8 Non-metallic minerals 83 1.8.1 Introduction 83 1.8.2 Limestone (CaCO3) 84 1.8.3 Magnesite (MgCO3) 91 1.8.4 Barite (BaSO4) 93 1.8.5 Diamonds 97 1.8.6 Bitumen 100 1.9 Mineral Prediction with advangeo® Prediction Software 102 2 Minerogeny 109 2.1 Mineralisation controls and indicators 109 2.1.1 Geochemical Properties of selected stratigraphic units 109 2.1.2 Intrusive rocks 114 2.1.3 Volcanic rocks 118 2.1.4 Fault structural controls 119 2.1.5 Reactive Rocks 121 2.1.6 Other sedimentary controls: placers and paleoplacers 122 2.1.7 Laterites 122 2.1.8 Control of diamond occurrences 132 2.2 Key stages of metallogenic development 132 3 Discussion and recommendations 136 3.1 Recommendations 138 4 List of References 139 5 Appendices 144 5.1.1 Sample G113RK1 144 5.1.2 Sample G109RK1 145 5.1.3 Sample G116RK1 147 5.1.4 Sample G121RK1 149 5.1.5 Sample G121RK2 151 5.1.6 Sample G121RK3 152 5.1.7 Sample G131RK1 154 5.1.8 Sample G144RK2 155 5.1.9 Sample G145RK1 156 5.1.10 Sample G147RK1 157 5.2 Thin Sections 159 5.3 Deep drilling Data 174 5.4 Geophysical Datasets 176 5.5 Geochemical properties of volcanic rocks 181 5.6 Regional Geochemical Datasets (MSSP) 186 5.6.1 Methodology of data processing 188 5.7 Geochemical analysis – Electronic Dump 190 5.8 Geochemical properties of selected geo-tectonic units 190 5.8.1 Epicratonic basin 190 5.8.2 Foreland Basin 195 5.8.3 Thrusted continental margin 202