If you have read some of my past articles, you have probably come across some of the ideas I have had to move not only my country forward but to move all of Africa forward. Someone commented in anger to one of my past articles calling my articles Quixotic. I am sure many great men in history have been called worst and I am not the least bothered. I just hope those who think they know better will share some of their ideas.
While on this, here is a story. A German physician thought that it was possible to get into the heart with a flexible tube through the blood vessels in the arm. His colleagues and superiors shunned him for having crazy ideas. The idea was so appealing to him so much so that he decided to try it on himself. His superiors wouldn't let him try it in the hospital so he solicited help from his nurse and proceeded to try it in his office. In the midst of trying the procedure on himself he realized that he was not in a room with an X-ray. With the flexible tube in his arm and, it turned out, in his heart, he proceeded to the X-ray room. Along the way, he was accosted by a colleague who tried to stop him. Fighting the colleague off with one arm, he managed to get an X-ray of his heart and voila, there was the flexible tube in his heart.
His colleagues mocked him even more as the story got around. The physician became depressed and moved on to become a village doctor. He took to alcohol. One day while at a bar his wife called and said someone called for him. She said it sounded important. Later when the doctor was home the person on the phone called again and said the doctor had been awarded the Nobel Prize for "heart catheterization". Some American physicians heard the story of his crazy ideas and thought they weren't so crazy. They tested the idea. They gave him credit for the idea and they got to share the Nobel Prize with him in 1956. The German physician's name is Werner Forssman. For me, I can only say I am glad I can see past my nose.
Oh, my idea: Ghana Airways was a good airline though poorly managed. I am sure Nigeria Airways was just as good. Where are those airways now? The fact that Ghana cannot continue to operate an airline does not mean Ghana and Nigeria can't do it together. The fact that Ghana cannot operate an airline does not mean Ghana and Ivory Coast cannot operate an airline together. ECOWAS cannot operate an international airline that services West Africa so we have no choice but to cede the market to Delta and British Airways and we want to create jobs; how? By the way, there is no need to educate me that Nigeria lost her license to operate in the US. I know that. How long ago was that and what problem can’t be addressed?
I know President Mahama won't think of this. I know Nana Akufo Addo won't think of this. They are too busy being President or running for President with no innovative ideas to dabble into Quixotic ideas. That's alright. I will continue to dream the good dreams even if it's only a dream. Kwame Nkrumah where are you?
Tony Pobee-Mensah tpmensahr@yahoo.com
