Ex-President Jerry Rawlings has deplored what he says is the deepening unemployment situation in the country and has held his successor, ex-President Kufuor responsible for it. According to him, the New Patriotic Party under President Kufuor departed from the sound economic foundation laid by the National Democratic Congress government which he (Rawlings) superintended. “Had the government continued from where we left off in 2000, quite frankly, I don’t think Ghana will be in the condition she is today. “We had laid a good economic foundation but we suffered a decline,” he said. Rather than focusing on developing the country, Mr. Rawlings said his opponents took over profitable state assets, lands and ran down Ghana Airways. He was speaking at the commissioning of the revived Nsawam Cannery, a state asset which was divested and sold to Caridem, a private company incorporated in 1993 which is owned by the 31st December Women’s Movement led by Mrs. Rawlings. According to Mr. Rawlings, the Nsawam Cannery was “rotten”, a “place nobody wanted” until it was taken over by Caridem. He said a lot has gone into reviving the place and “yet Kufuor will create the impression as if this was a diamond of a place." Mr. Rawlings commended the efforts put in by Caridem to revive the cannery and charged the Mills-led administration to arrest the unemployment situation in the country. He said that is the only way the party can retain power in the 2012 elections. Owners of the cannery were besides themselves with joy following the commissioning of the factory. Mrs Konadu Agyemang Rawlings said the company will be able to employ about 2,000 workers in two years. Play the attached audio for excerpts of the Rawlings' statements Story by Nathan Gadugah/Myjoyonline.com/Ghana