Robots on parade during the programme
The Asantehene Otumfuo Osei Tutu II has charged government to study and demystify the mystery surrounding the innovation and technological prowess of a spiritual leader and technologist, Apostle Kwadwo Safo Kantanka.
He said: “Why don’t we sit him down for him to teach us how he manages to get these inspirations to do all these wonderful things? Have the universities and technical institutions tried to learn from him or are we just allowing him to go away with his gift. If what he has is sorcery, it is a good sorcery and we . . . need to benefit from it.”
Otumfuo Osei Tutu II was speaking at the 38th Annual Technology Exhibition of the Kristo Asafo Mission of Ghana which was held under the theme: “Advancing Frontiers of Science, Technology, Creativity and Innovation through Religion to transform our Society”.
The event which was held in Accra on Sunday December 30, 2018, was attended by some senior security officials, ministers of states, members of parliament, traditional rulers and church congregations.
Some personalities present were the Minister of Environment, Science, Technology and Innovation, Professor Kwabena Frimpong-Boateng and the daughter of Apostle Safo who is also the Member of Parliament for the Dome Kwabenya Constituency, Adwoa Safo.
On display were organically cultivated foodstuffs, fleet of cars that included a three-wheeled car, robotics for combat and an Armoured Personnel Carrier (APC) KAI802.
The Asantehene also urged the government to consider implementing some protectionism policies for some sectors of the economy to propel indigenous growth of such sectors.
According to him, such a move had been embarked upon by countries like China, India and Britain, and would help Ghana develop its products and markets very well to be able to compete on the global scene.
He also cited the high preference for foreign goods and insatiable taste for continental dishes as being inimical to balance of trade in the country.
He noted that the situation where limited foreign currencies were used to acquire foreign products that could be produced locally was a contributory factor to the economic hardships that were being echoed by most Ghanaians.
The Director of Academic Affairs at the Ghana Armed Forces Command and Staff College, Dr Vladimir Antwi Danso, who chaired the event, described the government’s initiative of industrialising the country through the One District One Factory programme as a timely policy that needed the partnership of Apostle Kantanka who has over the years demonstrated his prowess for innovation.
“How can we have cars like Obrepon, Ontantifuo and so on while we import cars like Mahindra, Corado and Tata into Ghana? Apostle is not asking for a bailout, he is not asking for a loan, he and all of us are asking for recognition and patronage,” he asserted.
The Senior Minister, Yaw Osafo Marfo, also pledged government’s support of providing equal incentives to Kantanka Automobiles and other foreign car manufacturers who would be operating in the country.
He also indicated that government would support indigenous innovators with funds through the National Science, Technology and Innovation Fund which are yet to be operationalised.
By Issah Mohammed