Good Observation Otumfuo; But We Disagree

Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, the Asantehene, has reportedly expressed worry that in spite of the high level of intellectuals, academia, engineers, professionals  and traditional rulers, Ghana, as a country, is still struggling to develop.

The Ashanti King wondered why universities are still without laboratories and potholes are on our roads, when we have all these intellectuals around.  The Asantehene, who was speaking as the Special Guest of Honour at the First congregation and Inaugural ceremony of the Christ Apostolic University College in Kumasi, noted that education is critical in the development of every country.

According to him, the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) and the polytechnics are to produce graduates with entrepreneurial skills to enable them become self-reliant on the job market, but the opposite seems to be the case.  The Chronicle agrees with these sentiments that have been expressed by the Asantehene, because despite the abundance of these intellectuals and professionals, we are unable to solve our problems and have to always rely on foreign intervention.

Our local currency, the Cedi, is performing badly and will continue to perform poorly against the major currencies, especially the US Dollar, due to excessive importation. We, as a country, are unable to produce anything, including common tooth pick, and have to import these items at a great cost to the economy.  The country can boast of all the intellectuals and professionals that Otumfuo mentioned, but the impact of their knowledge is not being felt by Ghanaians.

Whilst conceding to these bare facts, as pointed out by Otumfuo, The Chronicle also thinks it will be wrong to hang these professors and professionals without looking at the opposite end of the coin. It is an undeniable fact that governments on this side of the world are not interested in research, but ready to buy those done by the advanced world at exorbitant prices.

Research works done by some of our university professors who braved the storm, which would have helped to catapult this country to a higher level, have been abandoned on the shelves to gather dust. United States of America, Russia, Germany, France and China, among a host of others, have reached their current state of development because of research. Year in and year out, they vote billions of dollars for their universities to carry out research into areas that would advance their technology.

America can today build a stealth helicopter that can fly over many countries without being detected by any radar system to arrest and kill Osama Bin Laden in Pakistan.  They were able to achieve this feet through research, but here in Ghana, least attention is paid to research.  In fact, our governments think it is a waste of time to pump money into the sector, without looking at the long term benefit to the country.

Apostle Kwadwo Sarfo, a man with little educational background is coming out with innovative ideas in the building of car engines, but because he has a black skin, our governments don't see anything good in what he is doing, let alone give him the maximum support.  Would Ghanaians, including the government itself, not feel proud if Katanka cars are exported to other countries?

So yes, we have the university professors and teachers, we have the intellectuals and professionals, but until the state gives them the maximum support, the knowledge they have acquired will remain in their heads and they may even die with it, without the state benefiting.  We cannot continue to blame our professors for doing nothing to help develop Ghana if the state has not given them the needed support, as is being done in the US and elsewhere.

The Chronicle is, therefore, appealing to Otumfuo to use his high offices to pressurize the government to pay more attention to research, to enable the country come out with home grown solutions to our problems, instead of always rushing to Europe and China cup in hand to beg for alms. Until this is done, it would sound like trying to give a dog bad name in order to hang it.