Church Vigils: Peter Obi’s Proposal Sparks Mixed Reactions

Peter Obi’s Suggestion to Convert Church Vigils into Night Shifts has Resulted in Varied Opinions.

iexclusivenews – The topic of church vigils has ignited a passionate debate in Nigeria after Peter Obi, the Labour Party’s 2023 presidential candidate, proposed changing these religious gatherings into night shifts.

His suggestion has elicited mixed responses from the public; some praise it as a strategy for boosting productivity, while others see it as a violation of cherished religious practices.

Peter Obi’s Proposal on Church Vigils

In a segment from Obi’s interview on the Honest Bunch podcast aired on Saturday, he expressed his concerns about Nigeria’s struggles with poverty and lack of productivity, which he believes stem from an excessive focus on politics and religion.

“I’m not pleased with the current state in Nigeria; we can’t keep nurturing poverty; that’s not effective leadership. We inhabit a largely unproductive society, which is why politics and religion dominate the conversation,” he stated.

Obi suggested that church vigils could be reimagined as night shifts, arguing that people dedicate too much time to attending church services from Monday to Friday.

He remarked, “We need to break this habit. I prefer to see night vigils converted into night shifts to enhance productivity. I attend church and believe in God, but we can’t have people in church every weekday, morning and evening.”

Reactions to Obi’s Proposal on Church Vigils

One notable critic of Peter Obi’s proposal is Joshua Mike-Bamiloye, son of the renowned founder of the Mount Zion Faith Drama Ministry, Mike Bamiloye. In response to Obi’s remarks in a post on X.com on Saturday, Joshua denounced the comments as, “misguided” and “insulting.”

He wrote, “So now vigils are the reason Nigeria isn’t productive? The mentality of blaming church attendance for Nigeria’s problems is very misguided and, at best, an insult.”

Joshua further suggested that if productivity is the aim, other social gatherings, such as recreational events, comedy shows, and concerts, should also be banned.

He added, “Vigils are commonly held on Fridays, right before the weekend. If we want to be productive, why not also ban recreational events, comedy shows, and concerts—in fact, ban every social gathering?”

Other Nigerians have also expressed their views on the issue, with some supporting Obi’s comments and others opposing them.

#japhetho tweeted on X, “The religious aspect is actually true. We need fewer people active in churches and more engaged in being productive.”

#TheAmaizingJosh commented, “The only things working are politics and religion; that is why pastors and politicians are so wealthy. We, on the other hand, vote for bad politicians and then go to church to pray for what those politicians are stealing from us!”

Criticism of Obi’s Proposal

Sir_enike wrote, “Yet he was present at every major church gathering during the election campaigns last year. Every programme, this man attended while canvassing votes from the same church that he now wants to dismantle. I support him; please, sir, let’s join hands to dismantle it together, so Nigerians wouldn’t have to be divided along religious sentiments engineered by the same politicians who are friends and business associates with the pastors and church operators.”

Support for Obi’s Proposal

Ogunmusi tweeted, “We spend far too much time in houses of worship, and that’s a genuine fact. Too many houses of worship with minimal reflection in people’s lives, both morally and financially. It’s time we do something differently.”

#OMatarazi wrote, “Actually, he mentioned Monday to Friday, not just Fridays. His point is that holding vigils on work nights could affect productivity since people still need to show up for work the next morning. Yes, other late-night events can impact productivity too, but vigils occur more regularly, sometimes every week. So, it’s not about blaming the church but acknowledging that frequent late nights during the workweek can really wear people out.”

Fr. James A (Faith-Chat Platform)@frjamesa on x
“Always a delight to watch @PeterObi speak. He gives hope! I believe him. Turn the night vigil to night shifts ! After all what many go to do at night vigils is to pray for the fruits of night shifts. Don’t get it wrong, people will still go to Church but it’ll now be with more joy in their faces for the ground is now green. May God answer this prayer“