The late Jerry John Rawlings
Assin Central Member of Parliament (MP) Kennedy Agyapong has said that Ghanaian-owned businesses have not thrived for over thirty years because of the late former President Jerry John Rawlings.
According to him, Rawlings made sure Ghanaian businesses do not thrive.
“Ghanaian businesses have not survived for thirty years, I said I won’t talk about it but for the youth listening to us, I will say the problem was from Rawlings. He collapsed a lot of Ghanaian owned businesses.
I had come back from Europe during one of the June 4 celebrations and I clearly heard him saying they should not buy apino soap. All the problems we are facing today is from Rawlings. Ghanaian businesses could not succeed all because of Rawlings. Now I’m friends with his daughter, she’s a very decent lady but the truth must be told,” he said on Accra-based Asempa FM.
Citing businessmen who had to flee the country for their lives, the Assin Central Member of Parliament said “Boakye foam mattress had to run away to UK. He set up a factory in Ireland, Poku Transport also left the country and became the number one transporter. Siaw left Ghana and went to Liberia to open a brewery and he succeeded”.
He indicated that Ghanaians do not invest in the country because they have fears and past political events and coupe de tats in the country have put some form of fear in them.
The lawmaker blamed Jerry John Rawlings for building a poor system in the country which did not encourage hard work but rather jealousy in the minds of the people of Ghana.
“Rawlings was antagonistic, he took Ghanaian-owned businesses and gave it to Lebanese. This is Siaw’s documents. Tata Breweries which Jerry John Rawlings took from their father. Kufour asked that some of the properties taken from them should be given to them but up until today, that has not been the case.”