The Idea that Dropped Like a Stool from the Sky and Made Waves

Nana Kwame Bediako, a prominent figure in Ghanaian politics, has recently caused quite a stir with his ambitious proposal to extend the Atlantic to the landlocked Ashanti Region, specifically to Kumasi. Bediako's declaration has sparked a conversation that ranges from dismissive chuckles to earnest pondering over Ghana's infrastructural ambitions.

The debate surrounding Bediako's proposal is a continuation of an older, broader discussion about the balance between visionary projects and practical, immediate needs. While some argue against the project's feasibility, others believe that dismissing Bediako's youthful exuberance and out-of-the-box thinking may be a mistake.

Skepticism and the Voice of Reason

At first, Bediako's idea sounded like a numbingly dumb notion destined to join the annals of failed political promises. However, a glimmer of hope appeared to me at the crack of dawn the other day: What if this young politician is on to something doable? Extending the sea to Kumasi doesn't have to be direct; it could be a matter of building a canal connecting one of the rivers that flow into the Atlantic.

An Eye-Opening Conversation about Bediako's Bombastic Proposal

To investigate the possibility of the project (note I did not say “feasibility”), I consulted a trusty old computational intelligence, Wolfram Alpha, and one of my new artificial friends, Claude 3 Opus, and ChatGPT Plus contributed too.

However, the latter’s tendency to talk too much in terms of differential equations, great circle distance, and Pythagoras with Python code persuaded me to ask her, with all due respect, to stay out of this conversation. WolframAlpha said that the shortest distance between Kumasi and Lake Volta is approximately 118.6 miles. Claude 3 Opus arrived roughly at the same estimate and provided some very interesting details relevant to Bediako’s project:

1. The nearest town near the edge of the Volta Lake to Kumasi is Akosombo, located about 150 kilometers (93 miles) away.

2. A canal connecting Kumasi to the lake near Akosombo would need to be around 112 miles long, accounting for the terrain.

3. The Main Danube Canal in Germany, which spans a similar distance and navigates an elevation difference of about 175 meters (574 feet), took approximately 32 years to construct (Note: this was in response to my asking her about a comparable project anywhere in the world).

4. Using modern construction methods, the Kumasi-Akosombo canal could take around 4-5 years to complete, depending on various factors such as resources, political support, and environmental impact assessments.

5. Using modern construction methods, the Kumasi-Akosombo canal could take around 4-5 years to complete, depending on various factors such as resources, political support, and environmental impact assessments.

Incidentally, let me tell those boys and girls on Reddit who complain that Claude 3 Opus tends to add useless detail in response to prompts, please stop. But I digress.

Claude 3 Plus’ responses in this case were extremely useful. In the final analysis, they strongly suggest that while Kwame’s project may be overly ambitious, it is not entirely impossible given the right resources and political will.

The political will, shall we say, of at least three patriotic modern-day Abirempon who, let’s hope, have stopped laughing at ‘that Kid,’ and would support starting up the Sea to Kumasi project within 4 years. Sorry, make those 19 years -- if we account for our annoying habit of being late for everything from marriage ceremonies, outdooring our newborns, and arriving at church services and funerals.

Even to meet at Agbamami’s Chop Bar for lunch too, we are late for that. But I digress again! Anyway, assuming we start working on the young man’s gargantuan endeavor early enough, it could bring thousands of construction-related jobs right from the beginning.

Imagine thousands of new industrial activities of the fourth kind powering into existence along multiple supply chains, empowering novel SME component manufacturers and assemblers up, down, left, and right all about the country!

In Defense of Youthful Dreamers

History reminds us that some of the world's groundbreaking achievements have come from the restive minds of the young and daring. From Albert Einstein reshaping our understanding of the universe to Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie and Wole Soyinka enriching the cultural landscape with their powerful voices, young pioneers have consistently challenged the status quo and pushed societies forward.

Sailing Forward on Tides and Ripple Effects of a Dream

While the majority may continue to oppose Bediako's proposal, the real power of this Sea-to-Kumasi idea resides in its ability to drive debate and reflection. Constructive debate and reflection. It challenges the latent neocolonial mentality and persistent inferiority complexes that have held Ghana back for way too long. Too long!

Bediako's audacity reminds us that this Sea-to-Kumasi (STK) idea is not such a crazy thing, even when the sea seems impossibly far from, say, the warehouses at the Ahodwo industrial area of Kumasi. Progress, someone once said, is a history of crazy ideas, often arising from audacious dreams. While some healthy skepticism is important, we should not dismiss the potential for youthful vitality to ignite innovative fervor and confront the challenges facing our nation.

As we move forward, let us grant Nana Kwame Bediako and all youthful dreamers of today the stage they deserve, recognizing that they, also, should take care to communicate their visions respectfully and according to our ancient traditions of respect for Wise Elders. Not the corrupt ones.

May God let the heat of political debate over Bediako's Sea-to-Kumasi promise crystallize healthy doses of salt into a new intergenerational alliance. This will make the ‘taste’ of the growing Movement for Change our country needs, much better.