Veronica Bekoe, Francis Allotey And Other Ghanaian Scientists Who Completed KNUST

• Ghana can boast of countless scientists in various fields who identified problems and provided long-lasting solutions to them
• Veronica Bekoe invented the iconic 'Veronica bucket' after observing her colleagues at work wash their hands from the same bowl of water due to water shortage which resulted in cross-contamination
• Professor Francis Allotey and Dr Thomas Mensah came up with Allotey's Formalism and fibre optics, respectively, which have greatly improved data transmission in many fields

The role of scientists in society cannot be overlooked. From setting up countless kinds of research, observing patterns, identifying problems and finding feasible solutions, it is safe to say that individuals in the various sciences, to a great extent, make the world an easier place to live in.

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Ghana can boast of a few of its scientists whose works have significantly impacted lives and the nation at large. From Veronica Bekoe's iconic invention, 'Veronica Bucket,' which played a major role in the prevention of the COVID-19 virus spread, to Thomas Mensah's invention of fibre optics which have made communication easier and faster, among many others, Ghana can safely say it has some smart brains to rely on in times of need.

In honour of the excellent job Ghanaian scientists in various fields do, YEN.com.gh has highlighted the story of three of them.

1. Veronica Bekoe, inventor of the famous 'Veronica Bucket'

Veronica Bekoe is the smart Ghanaian woman behind the widely used 'Veronica buckets', which supply running water for hand washing.

The clever Ghanaian developed the invention in 1993 when she worked with the Ghana Health Service's Public Health and Reference Laboratory to help alleviate cross-contamination from washing hands in a water bowl.

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In an interview, Madam Bekoe revealed that the idea for the bucket was birthed after observing her co-workers wash their hands in the same bowl of water after work due to water shortage. One day, local porridge stored in an aluminium bucket gave her a pictorial idea of what the bucket had to look like.

"Around the same time koko sellers started putting their product in aluminium containers. It occurred to me that if we could just fix a tap to any container to produce running water, that would help solve the problem. I discussed with the lab advisor who was an American. She said it's a good idea and we took off from there", Veronica said.

The Veronica Bucket has significantly improved hand hygiene and general sanitary practices in Ghana and other African nations. The Ghana Health Service has even endorsed it for hand hygiene. A washbasin is positioned beneath the spigot to collect the rushing water, and the innovation comprises a wooden platform holding the bucket, towel, and soap.

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It is typically used in hospitals and schools to promote washing hands with soap and water. Its usage became especially beneficial during the COVID-19 epidemic when hand-washing was an essential aspect of the fight against the illness.

2. Francis Allotey: One of the first Ghanaians to obtain PhD in Mathematics

Professor Francis Allotey is known in the history books of Ghana as the man of many 'firsts'. This is because he became the first Ghanaian ever to acquire a PhD in Mathematical Science. Before that, he was the first African to be accepted to Princeton University’s Math Department in 1962. He was also the first Ghanaian full Professor of Mathematics at KNUST.

The brilliant Ghanaian icon founded and was the first director of the KNUST Computer Centre and the first to introduce computer education in Ghana. After working at KNUST for years, Professor Allotey was appointed Pro-Vice Chancellor of the school in 1978.

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"When I returned from Princeton in 1966, I noticed there was no school in Africa that taught computer science. What happened was IBM would sell you a computer, and give you two weeks of lessons, but I thought that is not good enough - let them take it as a proper university course. So on my own, against my colleagues, I created the first department of computer science in Africa. I went to many parts of Africa preaching about not only physics but also the importance of computer science", Professor Allotey said in an interview.

A remarkable achievement of the late mathematician was coming up with the Allotey’s Formalism from his work on soft x-ray spectroscopy. This technique is used to determine matter moves in outer space, and in 1973, he received the Prince Philip Gold Prize for this discovery.

The Ghanaian history maker, unfortunately, passed on November 4, 2017, at the age of 85 from an ailment.

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3. Thomas Mensah: The Ghanaian Engineer who contributed to fibre optics invention

Dr Thomas Mensah became a global sensation after his groundbreaking invention of fibre optics, which has made communication and other data transmission easier and faster.

After pursuing a first degree in Chemical Engineering at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Dr Mensah got an opportunity to travel to France to pursue his PhD. From there, he proceeded to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in the US and acquired a certification in modelling and simulation of chemical processes.

Thanks to his MIT teachers, the brilliant student was hired by Corning Glass Works in New York after graduation. There, he was put on a research team of four and was the only Black person to develop a means to advance fibre optics from the lab to commerce. In under one year, he developed the 50 meters per second fibre optic draw and coating process, a problem that had remained unsolved for 15 years.

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His breakthrough with fibre optics saw him become the first African to be admitted into the National Academy of Inventors. He has since received awards from institutions like the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics, American Institute of Chemical Engineering, African Scientific Institute, Ghana Institute of Engineering and the Genius award from KNUST, among others.

Source: YEN.com.gh