Joshua Mike-Bamiloye Responds to Peter Obi's Remarks on Church Activities and Productivity

Joshua Mike-Bamiloye, son of prominent Mount Zion filmmaker and preacher Mike Bamiloye, recently responded to comments by Peter Obi, the Labour Party’s 2023 presidential candidate, on the impact of church activities on Nigeria’s productivity. Speaking on the Honest Bunch podcast, Obi suggested replacing church night vigils with night shifts to increase national productivity. He argued that frequent vigils and the large number of churches might affect workplace culture, saying, “We are going to turn night vigil into night shift so that people can be productive.”

During the podcast, Obi explained, “It’s attractive, politics and church, but it has to be dismantled. We are going to turn night vigil into night shift so that people can be productive. I go to church and believe in God, but we can’t have it that people Monday to Friday, be in church morning and night. If I go from here to my house, the only sign boards you see are those of churches. If you go to the East, it’s burials, and that’s not a country.”

Joshua Mike-Bamiloye, a gospel musician and director, expressed his disagreement, describing Obi’s remarks as “offensive and misguided.” He argued that blaming church attendance for productivity issues overlooks the real causes. “Vigils are commonly held on Fridays, right before the weekend. If we want to be productive, why not also ban recreational events, comedy shows, concerts—in fact, ban every social gathering,” he responded in a tweet.

Joshua further argued that Nigeria’s productivity issues stem from deeper, unresolved problems rather than religious gatherings. He humorously added that Nigeria’s hot weather might be affecting people’s thinking, ending his response on a light note.