A Deputy General Secretary of the National Democratic Congress George Lawson, has punched the leader and founder of the International Central Gospel Church, Pastor Mensah Otabil over his “we are living in tough times, Ghana is hard” comments.

The Deputy NDC scribe says Pastor Mensah Otabil should come clear as to whether he is talking as a businessman or as a pastor.

This comes after Pastor Mensah Otabil stated encouragement is what Ghanaians need in these tough times Ghana is facing.

The renowned motivational speaker in a sermon to his congregation last weekend noted that, the country is hot and further described it as a statement of reality not a political one. Most Ghanaians are going through very difficult situations in their private lives, businesses and all the aspect of life and encouragement from the word of God is what we need now in the circumstance we find ourselves.

“There are moments in our lives when we need a word of encouragement from the word of God and as a pastor, I sense those moments because I believe that we are living in tough times in Ghana,

Ghana is hard and that is not a political statement, it’s a statement of reality that people are going through very difficult circumstances in their private lives, in their businesses, and people are struggling with certain necessities of life and sometimes when you go through these tough times, you need encouragement.”

But the Deputy General Secretary of the ruling National Democratic Congress, NDC says, the tough times that has befallen the country is being experienced worldwide.

“There is poverty in the USA, UK, Brazil and every part of the world because, it is a global phenomenon. I don’t know if he ( Pastor Mensah) is speaking from a business point of view as he owns a lot of businesses in the country or otherwise as a business man pastor, but one will realize that since the entrenchment of the economy in the early parts of 2007 and 2008, the has been a global privation,” he said.

Mr. Lawson made the statement in an interview with Top news.

Mr. Lawson in expressing his disagreement with Pastor Mensah Otabil conceded that even though there is a wide spread poverty across the globe, President John Dramani Mahama is making all effort to reduce and gradually halt the situation in Ghana.