Certified economist, Bernard Oduro Takyi, has said that the father of the Minister of Finance, Ken Ofori-Atta, Jones Ofori-Atta, was Ghana's ministerial secretary of finance during the economic hardship in Ghana in the 1970s.

According to him, just like his son, Jonas Ofori-Atta borrowed so much that Ghana at some point could not repay its debts, a situation similar to the current one the country finds itself in.

Speaking in an XYZ TV interview monitored by GhanaWeb, Oduro Takyi added that the economic hardship during that time was what led to the military overtake by General Ignatius Kutu Acheampong.

“Under Busia’s regime, Akufo-Addo’s father was the ceremonial president and Ken Ofori-Atta’s father, Jones Ofori-Atta, was the finance minister of Ghana.

“What Jones Ofori-Atta did was that he borrowed to the extent that the government become saddled with debts. The economic hardship in the country was so unbearable and it led to the military overthrow by Kutu Acheampong. The country was so indebted that, Kutu Acheampong said it was not going to pay its debts,” narrated in Twi.

Oduro Takyi, a leading member of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) who defected to the National Democratic Congress (NDC), said that the similarities between the economic hardship in the 1970s and now so are so stark.

He said that the proponents of the UP traditions are the ones in government, the president of the country at that time was the father of President Akufo-Addo, William Akufo-Addo and the Ministerial Secretary of Finance was also the father of the current minister in charge of finance.

Watch the interview below:



IB/WA