Watch how Akufo-Addo's father pledged to boost economic growth at opening of parliament in 1971

Edward Akufo-Addo, the father of President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo vowed to turn the Ghanaian economy around in the early 1970s.

In a video shared by Ghana Facts & History on Facebook and sighted by GhanaWeb, Edward Akufo-Addo bemoaned the poor state of the country noting unemployment as a "major national problem".

He was addressing Members of Parliament at the opening of the Chamber in 1971.

"It will be generally recognised that the country's performance over the past decade, from 1960 to 1970, has been far from satisfactory. The gross domestic product has grown at a slower rate than the growth of the population. This has resulted in a decline in real income levels and living standards.

"The failure of the economy to grow reduced the scope for additional employment in all sectors, and new entrants to the labour force have found that there are not enough employment opportunities to absorb them," he said.

He added, "Unemployment has therefore become a major national problem. Those who are in employment do not always behave as though they recognise that there are many fellow citizens who are out of employment. The situation demands a high sense of social responsibility."

Watch the video below:



NOQ

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