THISDAYonline

A researcher, Mr Reuben Sani Sako, has challenged the Minister of Science and Techno-logy Professor Turner Isoun to corporate and involve him in his (Isoun's) bid to try solving Africa's scientific problems.

Sako, who has been identified as a genius, claimed to have solution to about 80 per cent of Nigeria's problem in science and technology and disagreed with the minister's earlier claim that Nigeria lacks scientists.

Sako who referred to a publication in THISDAY where the Minister said "the continent which is in dire need of science and technology (S&T) intervention in solving her socio-economic and political problems, has low production levels of scientists, engineers and technologists," noted, "Despite my long time efforts in my research, and development (R&D) findings with positive results, no proper attention has been given to my projects that can solve some Africa problems", Sako said.

Isoun earlier at a joint African Technology Policy Studies Network (APTS) and the federal ministry of science and technology (FMST), Nigeria, conference and workshop held recently with the theme "science and technology and Africa's global inclusion" said the challenge before African nations and especially the African Union (AU) and the New Partnership for Africa's Development (NEPAD) "is daunting but not insurmountable" noting that there are unprecedented opportunities that the NEPAD initiative offers Africa.

"The acid test of this bold African initiative (NEPAD) will be in translating words into action and achieving positive results that would ensure Africa's inclusion in the global economy."

Isoun however suggested that to enhance Africa's inclusion in the resource-based global industrial economy, NEPAD should promote sustainable industrial utilization of Africa's huge resource base using available cheap labour to solve the pervasive poverty problem "in order to ensure a competitive advantage in the global market by providing the direction through incentives and Science and Technology funding mechanisms."

Recently too, Professor Isoun at a public forum on science and engineering infrastructure with the theme on "NASENI-Engineering Nigeria for Wealth Creation", which was organised by the National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure (NASENI) suggested that the forum should try to find solutions to "how do we produce engineers, technologists/technicians and craftsmen and women who are capable, skilled and disciplined to manufacture internationally competitive products? How can we, as a nation, sustainably generate a crop of science and technology-based entrepreneurs willing to embrace the manufacturing challenges of the 21st century?"

Also the Executive Director of the African Technology Policy Studies Network (APTS), Dr. Osita Ogbu recently had stated that the crisis of African development in Africa was the crisis of self-doubt among Africans and lack of confidence in fellow African which he said has brought Africa into the crisis of intellectual dependence, making it consumers of science and technology without striving to be producers.

Ogbu had said also that the "crisis of African Development is deeply rooted in the crisis of self-doubt. We doubt our own scientists, economists, entrepreneurs and innovators. We are timid in pursuing what is genuinely in our national interest. We have been taught what to say and how to say them and even when to say them. We have surrendered our policy making process to those who barely understand us.

There is no worse crisis than the crisis of intellectual dependence", Ogbu said.

Ogbu at the meeting also suggested that the NEPAD Framework be made Knowledge Based and Science and Technology driven adding "above all, we want to give confidence to our people, policy makers and scientists alike that we have what it takes to intellectually liberate ourselves from this developmental quagmire."

Having gone through some of these statements by respected scientist, Sako Argued, "the biggest problem with the dearth of scientists in Africa is lack of competent, or entire corrupt staff to realise, and identify who is a genius, or a talent by truth, and a comprehensive assessment because inventions and innovations are carried out mostly by genius not talent."

Sako who visited THISDAY office in Abuja revealed that the ministry of science and technology has ignored his numerous genuine research breakthroughs, and concluded that if the ministry of science and technology could ignore him, and his numerous genuine research breakthroughs, then "I still believe that somehow others are victims of no proper attention like me in Africa."

In a letter he wrote to the Minister of Science and Technology through this writer, which he made copies of his communication with the ministry available to, Sako claimed, "Having understood enough problems confronting Africa in Science and Technology (S&T) hrough the media a communication was made to your ministry (Science and technology) dated 20/05/96."

In the said letter, Sako had wondered "how and why the ministry of science and technology since its inception in 1979 could not solve most of the research work given to them, or in other words why should the engineers and the MNSE holders could not find a solution(s) to the existing problems on processing machines, defence, safety, security, etc."

Sako in the said letter claimed to be one of the few who can design very good machines in the country having carried out his military research and development with the Defence Industries Corporation of Nigeria Research and Development team which is the highest in the production of arms and ammunition in West Africa for a period of five years.

"Just tell me what you want a machine or a gadget for and the required materials locally with the tools and I will surely present to you a feasible, workable and marketable machine or gadget. I presently have more than 20 completed proposals Blueprint for development.

However I want to be making standard proto-type models for your ministry to start development on mass", Sako had proposed.

The ministry responded to the letter, which Sako said enabled him display one of his machine inventions in the office of the Director, Technology Acquisition and Assessment (TAA) in the ministry on June 5, 1997.

Regrettably, Sako said that the "sensitive project" was frustrated by some "dream killers in the ministry|" and added that he was later to be invited by one of the ministry's parastatals, the National Office for Technology Acquisition and Promotion (NOTAP) to participate at the National Technology Forum and Techmart of Commercializable Inventors, Research and Development (R&D) Results and Inventions.

To his credit, the ignored project by the TAA Department of the ministry won the first prize at the occasion, which qualified him to represent Nigeria in Geneva this year at the International competition for the Gold medal prize, Africa Union/WIPO Best African Investors Award.

Sako's dream of getting assistance from the ministry in order to standardise, modify, repackage and expand his production was however derailed once again. NOTAP referred him back to his state of origin and his state government insisted he moved his production from Kaduna to his hometown kaura (a rural area) before any needed funds could be granted him.

"It took my State government one year two months to finally grant me not up to half of my request, (after indebting and frustrating me). I used the grant to purchase machinery and some raw material for production to start, and without funds to standardise, modify, repackage etc, my product.

In February last year my marketers and customers urged me to stop the production and carry out the expected development to standard in order not to jeopardise my sales. My State government is willing to add more money to me but I have no collateral security to tender. (I have disposed all my collaterals during my R&D findings in Zaria and Kaduna when I sold the only landed property my late father left behind and I do not have somebody to help me.)"

Presently, Sako has stopped production due to substandard development. He is unable to service the loan account and his interest is accumulating daily.

Unfortunately too, the ministry did approve his tenancy into the Kano technology Business Incubation Centre of the federal Ministry of Science and Technology but the question of having no collaterals and lack of funds had hindered that dream too and has "left me stranded in my teething problems while Africa is in dearth of scientist", Sako complained.

Sako questioned what the minister had done in finding remedy to the problem he complained of, who are the people expected to solve the problems? When and how?"

He pleaded with the minister to "see to my predicament, because I so much love to end some of the existing problems confronting Africans by introducing my indigenous Technology. That is my only dream in life", Sako said.

Sako reiterated "I used to produce some gadgets in Kaduna State since 1980, because I have been into research at the age of 17 years. I have a lot of projects that have been ignored by the ministry of science and technology in which I am very sure I can solve more than 80 per cent of Nigeria's problem in science and technology. I am very sure I can solve their problems."

Some of the problems, Sako identified that the ministry lacks proper machinery to process the agricultural products and a lot of other problems.

"There are some machinery that can be developed that I have already have their blue print like the agro processing devices that I have and in terms of military gadgets too.

Some of his projects include Automatic Lifting barrier, automatic traffic light system, automatic fire fighting machine automatic car security system, building security system, bank anti-robbery system, three phase failure delay, check point/road block deflating machine,Dehydrating machine, electric oven, automatic speed control, automatic bread slicing machine, automatic fire fighting machine. Others include groundnut shelling machine, groundnut oil extractor, maize Sheller, automatic voltage control/circuit braker (manual and mechanical), automatic voltage control/circuit brake, cereal planting machine (mechanical and manual), offensive devices, bone crushing machine, sand filtering machine, submarine, maize harvester, among others.

The cereal-planting device is a device that will plant assorted seedlings and the device has holes according to the seedling that is to be planted. The dehydrating device, which dehydrates vegetables and tuber crops such as cassava, yam, okro, pepper and vegetables.

Another project is a device that will process it into standard consumable product. The automatic speed control is a device that controls the speed limit of vehicles and is expected to reduce accidents in the country. There are also devices like the demobilizer, which will stop offenders at highway at checkpoint and would also stop vehicles from stepping from toll gate fees. "The National Drug Law Enforcement Agents (NDLEA), Police and even Customs used to be knocked down at check points and sometimes, the drivers often pretended to slow down at check points but would suddenly accelerate the device would create hole on a tyre which will automatically enhance the driver to stop."

He also claims to have traffic light device, which he maintained is a standard one that could stop the importation of traffic light. Another device is the one that can regulate the voltage in terms of surge (low voltage or high voltage).

With all these devices to his credit, Sako said he has made several efforts to become relevant because he has sort the assistance of the ministry but regretted that the ministry has not given him a proper assistance.

"To assist me with a kind of governmental workshop and fund so that I can carry out the developmental of my products because I do not have machineries like milling machine, leg machine, opposition machines and other machines necessary. I don't have the money to buy the raw materials that I need."

Reuben has been recognised in the country to the extent that he was given an award in 2000 as the best inventor and innovator of the Millennium.

He felt bad that notwithstanding the award given him, he was not been given proper assistance by the ministry. I don't have someone who can stand for me because I am requested to produce collaterals.

Although Sako was given the go-ahead to install a standard prototype model of indigenous traffic signal control system in Kaduna, the ministry of works and Transport Kaduna insisted he must do so at his own cost.

Presently, Reuben is virtually doing nothing but wasting the talent in him for lack of assistance. He only "moves around to sell the few car security, which is in order but still needs development but not as the other products."

He calls on the Minister "to coorperate with me. Try me and see because I have a list of products that can be of benefit not only to Nigeria or Africa but also to the entire world.