Kotoku, (GAR) July 1, GNA- Professor Emmanuel Owusu-Bennoah, Director-General of the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) has described science as the only master-key to open the doors to poverty reduction, wealth creation, and socio-economic development. He said it was "only science and technology that could find new ways of improving upon the old means, methods and processes of production with the objective of increasing or enlarging the size of national cake."

Prof. Owusu-Bennoah made the remarks at this year's day to mark Scientific Renaissance of Africa, under the theme: "Science and Technology for Sustainable Environmental Sanitation," held in Kotoku, near Amasaman. He said CSIR has developed innovative technologies, which, when transferred and promoted efficiently, could bring lot of benefits moving the country onto the path of socio-economic development in a sustainable environment. He noted that there were many other technologies within CSIR, which remained unutilised and explained that, "the major constraint in promoting them is the lack of funding to move some of these technologies to the pilot stage where the private sector could become convinced of the economic benefits to be derived from investing in them. "It is my conviction that if science and technology is properly handled, it could become the hen that will lay the golden eggs for our national development."

Professor Edward Ayensu, Chairman for CSIR, expressed concern about the deteriorating environmental sanitation, which, he said had serious implications on the health, economy and aesthetic values of the nation. "One of the most famous religious saying, 'cleanliness is next to Godliness,' is one of the most powerful statements about how we can get close to God and close to Allah and should be taken seriously," he added.

Prof. Ayensu said, "we lived in an age where technological innovations have made it possible for us to turn all sorts of waste materials into useful by-products," adding that CSIR was poised to assist in that direction. Prof. Edward Akaho, Director-General of Ghana Atomic Energy Commission (GAEC), renewed the commitment of his staff to scientific research and said government could count on their cooperation to address problems of human health and nutrition, industry, agriculture and environment.

As part of a durbar to mark the day, an exhibition on science and technology was mounted by the scientific community, including CSIR, Geological Survey Department, GAEC, Town and Country Planning, GRATIS and the Rural Enterprise Project. Prizes were also awarded to winners of the schools' science quiz competition organised by the Institute of Industrial Research of the CSIR.