Daniel Agbolade, Ibadan

Chairman, Board of Trustees, Last Days Gospel Ministers Association (LADGOMA), Mr. Bola Taiwo, has warned the presidency against plan to launch the film festival of Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), stating that it will not serve the interest of the country.

While inaugurating the 7th executive of LADGOMA at a press conference in Ibadan, Taiwo called on President Muhammadu Buhari to respect the constitution of the country, recognise the heterogenous nature of Nigeria and guide against religious unrest.

Taiwo who also enjoined the president, governors and other elected office holders to see their elections as a call to service, advising the president "to use our resources to develop our society and not over mundane issue of OIC film festival."

It would be recalled that following the public outcry that trailed the recent trip of the president to the OIC meeting, the presidency through Senior Special Assistant,Media and Publicity, Mr Garba Shehu, had defended Buhari's trip through a press statement.

The statement read in part, “Nigeria, a country with bubbling and versatile cultural heritage, stands to gain from measures that will support cinematic productions, including a planned launching of an OIC film festival."

But speaking with journalists after unveiling the new Chairman of LADGOMA, Mr. Stephen Ayandokun and his executive members to the congregation, Taiwo said, "the Presidency should have a rethink over the launch of OIC film festival because anything that is not of God will fail."

He said, "Nigeria belongs to all of us and Christians in this country have always lived and ready to see their Muslim counterparts as part of them but anything that will breed religious acrimony should not be given priority.

"Mr. President should always follow whatever the constitution allows. And I thank God for the existence of Christian Association of Nigeria and Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria and other bodies that have been speaking truth to the powers that be. Christians will fight the plan to launch the so-called film festival with tax payers money. It is unnecessary, it is unfair."