WHO IS A SCIENTIST?

Over the past years, many people have been misconstruing who a scientist really is. The scientist himself has forgotten who he is supposed to be in real life especially his effect on the society. The issue of who a scientist really is is greatly misunderstood in Ghana and Africa as a whole. My interest in this issue led to writing this piece for all Ghanaians and Africans who want scientific and technological development.

According to Wikipedia.com, 'A scientist is a person who engages in systematic activities to acquire knowledge. Scientist performs research toward a more comprehensive understanding of nature, including physical, mathematical and social realms. Engineers and scientists are often confused in the minds of the general public. While scientists explore nature in order to discover general principles, engineers apply established principles drawn from science in order to create new inventions and improve upon the old ones. In short, scientists study things whereas engineers design things. However, there are plenty of instances where significant accomplishments are made in both fields by the same individual. When a scientist has also engineering education, the same individual would explore principles in nature to solve problems and to design new technology. Scientists often perform some engineering tasks in designing experimental equipment and building prototypes, and some engineers do first-rate scientific research.

Philosophy can be seen as a distinct activity, which is aimed towards a more comprehensive understanding of intangible aspects of reality and experience that cannot be physically measured.'

I see that the world is basically made up of two types of scientists. The first type is what I call “the history readers” and the second type “the history makers”. The history readers are the type of scientists who read and recap on laws, ideas, knowledge formulated by the ancient scientists. They just learn the ideas of others to please the society and the world in general. The world or the society see them as honest, legends, patient and so many accolades that can make them swollen headed are awarded to them. In fact, Africa has been giving birth to this type of scientists after civilisation was taken from her. These are scientists who are afraid of what the world will say about their new ideas. They never make known their ideas or inventions. They burry their ideas in them and go to grave with them. Such scientists are enemies of progress. The second type of scientists is the “history makers”. They postulate, invent and formulate ideas, machines and laws. These are the people who change the course of life in this universe. They bring the powerful ideas into realities without considering how the world is going to see them. They are the people who activate their 'other mind' and reach the 'God sphere' in their lives. They shake the inner souls of people around them. They always dispute the argument that the majority carries the vote: they rather say the thinkers win the vote. They are always seen as villains, liars and all manner of abusive names are given to them. Their importance is not recognised until they are dead and gone. Only few of such people were recognised positively when they were alive. Below are few of the “history makers”.

Galileo Galilei is one of the ancient scientists whose effort cannot be undermined. He was the man who invented spyglass that later metamorphosed into telescope. He contributed a lot to astronomy. He died in 1642 with a lot of accusations on his head. It is through the work of this man that now germs and other microscopic organisms can be observed. But he was seen as a traitor at his time all because he had propounded a theory that the world did not understand. This was his theory about the planetary bodies and the centre of the universe.

Benjamin franklin is one of the famous scientists who struggled in America revolution and was born in January 1706. Franklin was a statesman, diplomat, writer, scientist and inventor, one of the most versatile and talented men in colonial America and a leading figure in the American struggle for independence. He invented a lot of things and some of his inventions included the Franklin stove and the lightning rod. He was constantly quarrelling with his brother all because of the way he saw the world and how he was trying to interpret it.

Henry Ford is a man who cannot be out listed when mentioning the people who, through their thinking and intuition, changed the course of the world. He was accused of many things and many people tagged him with illiteracy because of his low formal educational background. He proved to the world that, the formal education is just a medium of learning stipulated scientific histories (theories and ideas of other people) and there is no need learning theories that were not going to benefit him. He changed the civilisation models of America with his genius ways. He is now seen as a great capitalist and engineer (A first order hypocrisy!)

Many scientists were wrongfully persecuted and hated for the way they saw the world and made history. The list includes Leonardo Da Vinci, Einstein, just to mention a few.

Africa has been mouth-watered for a long time to produce scientists who 'make history'. She needs some of her children to change her destiny through science and technology. She is eagerly waiting to take her prestigious title again, 'mother of civilisation'. Her 'scientists and engineers' should stop bragging with hollow qualifications (First Degrees, Masters, Doctorates) in scientific history. Scientists who read and follow what the world is saying even if the world is wrong. The prophecy of the ancient philosophers and thinkers which said that Africa would give birth to a child who would change the course of the world; he would restore the previous glories of his mother, Africa, through the way he sees the world. This has been tracked down up to this modern day. The prophecy is now on course!

Apostle Dr Kwadwo Safo, the founder and leader of Kristo Asafo mission of Ghana, is Africa's son who is categorised among the 'scientist who makes history'. He is the inventor of so many ultramodern and mind boggling devices. He deciphers the world of science and brings things that are scientific breakthroughs into reality. He has improvised block moulding machine, invented sound-tuning television which is affectionately called 'Kantanka clapping Television', voice recognition air conditioners, voice recognition cars, biometric system for starting cars, etc. He has also changed the course of life in agricultural field. He has been able to produce drugs which when infused in rabbits make them extraordinarily fertile. A rabbit can give birth to fifteen kits in two weeks thus reduction in gestation period of the organism from a month to two weeks (wow!! What a genius). Cows are been made to give birth to twins. He has invented wooden incubator that hatches chicks in 14 days. A lot of marvellous things have been introduced into Africa by this beloved son of Africa.

History, they say, repeats but in different geographic locations in the world. He has been accused of so many things even the accusers themselves cannot remember. A lot of the “History readers” have been saying he is uneducated formally and making him a quack. What is the importance of memorising someone's theories, ideas if I can create better history than they have done? They have forgotten that theories are there just for references. This is the type of accusations Henry Ford faced when he started with his automobile company. Now the world sees Henry Ford as a hero. People brag with Ford Navigator, Ford Explorer, and other products with Ford logo.

Others are saying his products are not scientifically buttressed. Is response of a device to change in amplitude and frequency of waves scientific or unscientific? Is voice recognition technology in cars scientific or unscientific? Is genetic and hybrid production of animals scientific or unscientific? What makes biometric system of starting car unscientific? People make mistakes in every generation. We look at the private lives of legends and geniuses instead of learning from what they are doing that is likely to cause dramatic change in modern civilisation in better ways.

The children of Africa who are 'history readers' are now saying his products are reengineered. According to Sci-Tech Dictionary,' Reengineering is the application of technology and management science to the modification of existing systems, organizations, processes, and products in order to make them more effective, efficient, and responsive.' Companies in the western world improve upon the appearance of their products to make life easier for themselves and are those products not reengineered? There are no tremendous differences between existing products and their improved ones by the 'Whites' but we call those Hi-tech. A change in KIA Sorento 2011 and 2012 is just light and shape modifications but we call that Hi-Tech.

What Dr Safo is doing is advanced engineering. Advanced Engineering is the process of inventing scientific ideas and machines that are beyond human understanding. When Marconi, Italian electrical engineer, discovered a digital medium of communication without cable, it was too advanced to be understood. His friends recommended a psychologist for him because they thought he was going crazy. Although digital communication was in existence, he brought advanced form of the medium of communication (wireless medium of communication). This is the same as what Apostle Dr Kwadwo Safo is doing. His products are scientific breakthroughs and they are beyond the scope of the western world. Instead of the Blacks appreciating and accepting our own brother who is doing these advanced engineering stuffs, we are rather sabotaging him. The main reason why he is producing cars and products with advanced features is that, he wants Africans to believe in ourselves, believe that we can do what the western world has used to enslave us mentally and even do far better than they are doing. Culture once said, “Lift up your brother; don't you put him down. One and one watch each other.” I can see that his capabilities are beyond these “small” scientific stuffs. We should encourage him and expect more from him.

There is something like conspiracy that has been going on for a long time in this world. If Black invents an idea or a way of life, it is rejected by the 'Whites' and even because we are mentally slaves, we even reject our own things. In South Africa 2010, the Africans invented vuvuzela which will amplify jeering and sound being made by supporters. On return to Europe, the supporters of the clubs in Europe had wanted to use that medium for supporting their clubs but the UEFA banned the use of vuvuzela. 'European football's governing body said that "in the specific context of South Africa, the vuvuzela adds a touch of local flavour and folklore," but it then went on to make it clear they felt they were out of place at European games', this is a report from BBC SPORT which was dated, Wednesday, 1 September 2010 11:39 UK. They saw vuvuzela as African and couldn't be entertained in the European world.

Black inventing is not nice but is evil, quack, sham, superstitious and taboo. Apostle Dr. Kwadwo Safo manufacturing cars and inventing other products is against the conspiracy rule of the 'Whites', we call it sorcery and reengineering; but if the white invents anything, it is scientific and Hi-tech. This is the time for emissaries of development in Africa to wake up and redefine the ideologies of the blacks to learn to appreciate what we have in our possession. Bob legend Marley said,” Emancipate yourself from mental slavery. None but ourselves can free our minds…. None of them can stop the time…we gat to fulfil the book.” Do we always want to borrow instead of giving? Do we always want to be slaves in the western world instead of being royals in our land? Do we always have to beg the 'Whites' to buy our exports at a cheap price and sell them to us at expensive finished products? Do we always want to sleep in the dark because of load-shedding while sun and silicon are abundant resource in Ghana and Africa? Do we always have to beg for 10% shares in extraction of our own resources? Do we always have to be ranked as a third world? Do we always have to receive insults from the westerners because of our poverty? Are we not having the best skin type that can freely adopt to any weather conditions, then why these insults?

Africa is the poorest continent in the world all because of lack of scientists who can bridge the gap between 'reading history' and 'creating history'. She has been used as the place for depositing waste and old products of the western world all as a result of lack of “history making scientists”. Many of her astrologers, thinkers and philosophers had wanted to track down time and witness this child who would cause a great change to her. Blessed are my eyes and ears to have witnessed what the greatest thinkers and the philosophers of ancient world had wanted to witness. How Marcus Garvey, Malcolm X, Amiri Baraka and all those who were looking forward to seeing a transformed Africa would have rejoiced if they were to be among us is never to be mentioned. Let us help make Apostle Dr. Safo the leader of African scientific revolution for Africa sake. Let us appreciate him and beg him to train the upcoming scientists. For history always repeats and his importance would come to light when he is dead. Why do we always want to celebrate dead geniuses who can't take the praises we are giving them?

Osagyefo Dr Kwame Nkrumah was voted Africa's man of the millennium in 2000. According to columnist, Mensah Nana Akyea, Nkrumah's coup d'état was backed by the 'Whites'. They eliminated him to continue to sabotage Africa. Statues were erected in honour of Nkrumah. Are his statues capable of performing the works Nkrumah was embarking on to change Africa? They are watching with keen interest to hear that Apostle Dr Kwadwo Safo is dead. He would be awarded Africa's man of this scientific millennium. He shall be entitled with the only African who lived 200 years before scientific revolutionary time in Africa. They will make the dead person who is useless famous thereby mocking Africa at her mistake. Let us appreciate him now and let us forget about any future monuments for him; monuments do not develop a continent but geniuses do.

What is the importance of importing about 90% of your needs when you are the only continent in the universe that can be totally independent? Let the leaders of Africa come to realisation and see the great gap between Africa and the Western world all as a result of lack of science and technology. We go crawling on our knees for loans and grants that are indirectly nailing us into the lacustrine poverty.

The 'Whites' have been doing marvellous works. They give us loans and suggest what to use the money for. They usually suggest that we invest the money in our educational system. They have seen a great fault in our educational system; a powerful educational system that still depend on the old system of education, the system that resulted to learning of theories and definitions. How do you expect your scientists to compete with the western scientists when you are learning theories propounded in the 16th century? How do we expect our engineers to perform better when the system is training 'chew-pour-pass-forget engineers'? Do we use definitions of science, machines, couples, frictions, Newton's laws, etc. to produce cars, aeroplanes, tablet pc, submarines, etc.? We have to employ the innovative way of education; a system that allows the students to tell the people how they see this universe. Apostle Dr Kwadwo Safo can help bring that system into existence when we incorporate him in our tertiary educational system especially, University of Mines and Technology (UMaT), and Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST).

The media in Ghana have not been helping in the promotion of science and technology in Africa. They always talk about political issues that are not going to change the course of life in Africa. They spend precious time discussing political topics that are not really important. The air is always filled with NPP-NDC dichotomy. I am pleading with the media, especially the print, to at least publish one of Apostle Kwadwo Safo's products every week for all Ghanaians and Africans to see. Many people have been deprived of knowing him as a result of their location. But I believe if the media work on this, his works would be appreciated and he might get support from the government. For the media is sharp double-edged sword, they can make and unmake you. I am pleading with you to use your other side to make his works popular in Ghana. The media can even create a page to discuss Science and Technology in Ghana and feature the upcoming scientists. If they do this, many upcoming scientists will have the zeal to do something extraordinary for the nation and the continent. I know the media can do better than this.

Apostle Dr Kwadwo Safo Kantanka, may God extend your days longer to channel some of your diamond-sparkling wisdom into the upcoming scientists in Ghana and Africa as a whole.

Let us change our attitudes about scientists and the way we see our geniuses when they are living with us. For our mouths talk about how much we need development but our attitudes toward science speak the opposite. Science and technology is very vital and can change Africa's present status to a better economic status.

Long Live Science,
Long live Apostle Dr Kwadwo Safo,
Long live Ghana,
Long live Africa.
Ntiamoah Boadu Kwasi, Geological Engineering student, University of Mines and Technology. Writer of “power of self-discovery” which was published in Weekly Spectator, 27 October, 2012. mailto:[email protected]