Oh yes, we have what it takes

What do Kwadwo Kwateng (Anim Black), Asidu Abudu (Inventor 1), Kelvin Odartey, Gabriel Kwame Nyarko, Isaac Otoo, and Jacob Larbi have in common? They are Ghanaians who manufacture things like automatic hand sanitiser machines, vehicles, remote control devices, aircraft and many others.

One other thing is that they are not persons of higher learning, making them common citizens who may not be regarded highly in society. One is a manufacturer of shoes and has his own factory producing what can be said to be among the best locally produced shoes. Then one day he ventured in manufacturing an automatic hand washing machine using solar energy to power it.

One manufactures technical items that can make life easier, like eating machines to help children or the physically challenged feed, fufu pounding machine, surveillance camera that can be monitored from a cell phone, and mobile device that can start a car engine from a cell phone among others.

One was a Junior High School (JHS) leaver who manufactured a car which he drove to school. One manufactured a device and put it into a mobile phone to take over the controls in a car, and the others manufactured a light airplane.

There may be a lot more of such unknown people all over the country transforming their dreams into reality, people who academia may write off and put them in the class of only dreamers, since nothing good and important can come out from them. When one listens to and views what these lowly educated people do, one will agree that God gives knowledge and wisdom to those He chooses to, and not to those we regard highly off because of their education.

All they need is having money to go big for the benefit of the country as a whole. Yes, we have what it takes to be a country which can rub shoulders with the top industrialised nations of the world.

In the field of health, a lot is being done by people who use local herbs to manufacture potent drugs that cure ailments. With the Covid-19, many were those who resorted to using local medications as means of prevention and even cure.

Among Ghanaians using what we have here to produce curative drugs and making in-depth research into preventive health is Prof. Raphael Nyarkotey Obu. Here is a man who has the nation at heart, and instead of settling abroad to do what he knows best in countries where he could become a billionaire by now, he decided to stay among his people and help them to manage, prevent and cure some ailments.

After a decade-long research, Raphael Obu came out with a book on prostate health. The over-900 page book, entitled Black Men and Prostate Health (Natural Urology Perspective From Africa), tells all that we need to know about prostate health, and what is more significant is that the professor used a style of writing, very unusual of persons in his category, the simplest form of English so that most people can easily read and understand.

The topic under discussion is too important to the lives of all, both men and women, to be concealed in language where only those in medicine can read and understand.  Prostate, we are told, is the most important and useful aspect of man’s reproductive life.The myth behind cancer was simplified by Prof Obu, who educates us on the fact that every living cell in our body has the ability to be cancerous, that is when its genes cannot regulate the growth of that cell, and the cell multiplies out of control and never dies. And against popular perception, we are told that cancer is not genetic.

We are also told that enlargement of the prostate, which is called Benign Prostate Hyperplasia, is not cancerous.

The frightening truth is not everyone recovers fully from prostate cancer, and that a larger percentage get the disease again after all the treatments and surgeries have been done. The mortality rate from prostate cancer in Ghana tops all cancer diseases with only 17.7% of those diagnosed surviving annually.

Eating a good diet and living in clean environments can prevent the cancerous nature of the cell from triggering into action. Consumption of more fresh fruits and vegetables is very helpful for prostate health. Cutting off the consumption of refined sugar and processed food, with, at least, 30 minutes a day of vigorous physical exercises and stress management, helps enhance prostate health.

Prof. Obu goes on to mention some plants and plant products that have got lots of health benefits, and these include garlic, guava, pawpaw and even marijuana. Oil made from cannabis has proven to shrink prostate cancer. Garcinia kola or bitter kola or michi-goro and wild potato are among plant products recommended for prostate health. The dangers of genetically modified foods (GMOs) and other diets to avoid have also been highlighted in the book.

Generally, we are advised to watch our urination pattern, and if we notice something out of the ordinary, we must seek medical help from the urologist.

Prostate health awareness in Ghana is not strongly emphasised upon as breast cancer awareness is. Many men are dying from prostate diseases which should not be the case if only they are made aware of prostate health.

It is about time the nation places prostate health on high priority and adopt a day, as Prof Raphael Obu suggests, to be call “Prostate Health Awareness Day,” which could be adopted into Senior Citizens’ Day, and also funds to be committed into the nationwide education and awareness of prostate health.

With people like Prof Raphael Nyarkotey Obu among us, we need to bless and glorify the Holy Name of God.

Oh yes, we have what it takes to rub shoulders with or even overtake top industrialised nations of the world when it comes to health and medications. We have Prof. Nyarkotey Obu around, and many others who are into the local means of preventing, managing and curing ailments which may seem impossible to treat.

Can the nation rise up now and give the much needed attention to these gallant men and women we call our brothers and sisters? They are people who will not only be able to cut down our cost on the importation of drugs and medicare, but also boost our GDP through the exportation of our drugs and medicare.

Even if Prof Obu’s book, “Black Men and Prostate Health (Natural Urology Perspective From Africa)”, cost GH¢1,000, it is worth having one on your book shelf.

While we are at this, have we noticed that the White man is making us spend fortunes on our breakfast and snacks? I am referring to pastries, and here wheat flour plays a major role. We do not plant wheat in Ghana, but we consume a lot of food made from wheat flour, and bread comes in mind. What about using our maize, sorghum and other cereals we grow here and make flour out of them for our bread and pastries? We have Prof Obu and many others to show us how.

Yes, we have what it takes to make Ghana one of the greatest nations in the world.

Hon Daniel Dugan

The views expressed in this article are the author’s own and do not necessarily reflect The Chronicle’s editorial stance

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