Renowned sociologist Dr. Nana Obiri Yeboah has urged the Presiding Archbishop and General Overseer of the Action Chapel International, Nicholas Duncan-Williams, to turn his church into a factory if he wants to salvage the struggling Ghanaian economy.

The advice follows Archbishop Duncan-Williams’ declaration of a 72-hour fasting and prayer for the country for God to intervene in the hardship Ghanaians are currently facing.

“A powerful prayer is needed for a nation which is in crisis”, Archbishop Nicholas Duncan-Williams told his congregation on Sunday, explaining that fasting is a very powerful tool deployed by leaders of nations who believe in God and fear God in days and times of national crisis.

In his reaction, however, Dr Obiri Yeboah stated that it is foolhardy to suggest fasting and praying as the solution to the challenges facing the country.

He told Starr News’ Atiewin Mbillah Lawson that if the renowned bishop is really serious about solving the country’s dwindling economic fortunes and currency, he should, without hesitation, convert his church into a factory, since that will bring about more productivity.

“Our problem…economic hardship is not spiritual. It’s attitude and the structure of our economy. After independence we have not been able to turn the tables around and fight for that economic independence…we have rather dwelt on superstition and more of religious industry, everywhere. That’s why we have a lot of religious bodies and that have affected the psyche of so many people thinking that it’s bad divine assault on us.

“So Fasting will not solve our problem, prayers several times will not solve our problem. This is not the first time the bishop has come out with this prescription. I think last year or two when the cedi was having problem, he said he was going to pray for its resurrection. What has happened to that? Now it has also sunk very deep. It’s not that prescription that will solve our problem. Our problem is that we need to look at our economy. There are lots of economic modules that have helped other countries to turn around their economies.”

He added: “The problem of the cedi is based on economic principles, the forces of demand and supply. What are we supplying? What are we exporting? We are importing everything including chewing stick and what do expect, everybody is looking for the dollar to go and buy even chunks.

“The solution to our cedi is there. It is widely known. It is practiced in America, everywhere. Highly productivity. Export more. Import less and then you have a strong economic fundamentals. We don’t have it. If our churches were factories processing our raw materials, pineapple, mango and everything, won’t we have a good economy?”

Asked if he was thus suggesting Archbishop Duncan-Williams converts his church into a factory to lead the economic recovery of the country, Dr Obiri Yeaboah replied in the affirmative.

“Yes,” he said. “ If that building at the industrial area is a processing plant, You think it cannot stabilize the dollar, if all those buildings those pastors are putting up, meeting there and telling the people a lot of stories about Jesus Christ and all those things. Look at our industrial area, taken over by churches and we don’t export anything.”