Joshua Mike-Bamiloye, son of the well-known Mount Zion filmmaker and evangelist Mike Bamiloye, recently responded to remarks made by Peter Obi, the Labour Party’s 2023 presidential candidate, regarding the role of church activities in Nigeria’s productivity. On the Honest Bunch podcast, Obi proposed that night vigils be swapped for night shifts to improve productivity, suggesting that the prevalence of churches and frequent vigils detracts from the nation’s work culture. He said, “We are going to turn night vigil into night shift so that people can be productive.”
Obi commented further, “Politics and church are attractive, but it has to be dismantled… We can’t have people in church morning and night from Monday to Friday. Driving home, the only signboards you see are those of churches. If you go to the East, it’s all burials, and that’s not a country.”
In response, gospel artist and filmmaker Joshua Mike-Bamiloye voiced his disapproval, calling Obi’s comments both misguided and insulting. He argued that church attendance isn’t to blame for Nigeria’s productivity issues, pointing out that vigils typically occur on Fridays before the weekend. “If we want productivity, why not also ban recreational events, comedy shows, concerts—in fact, every social gathering,” he tweeted.
Joshua suggested Nigeria’s productivity problems stem from deeper issues unrelated to church gatherings and concluded his response on a humorous note, hinting that Nigeria’s hot weather might be clouding some people’s thinking.
