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Benue Assembly rejects Gov Alia’s nominee over Facebook post insulting Tiv tribe
Benue State House of Assembly, on Thursday, declined confirming
one Vincent Gisaor nominated by Governor Hyacinth Alia for the membership of
the Benue State Independent Electoral Commission.
The nominee was rejected by members of the Assembly for
allegedly insulting the Tiv tribe via a post on his Facebook page.
Gisaor was one of the eight nominees for the state electoral
commission submitted for screening a few days ago.
The other nominees are Dr John Chen (Chairman), Theodore
Uchi, Terhemen Shom, Solomon Deva, Peter Ogagbolo, Edache Isaac and Gloria
Clement.
Dyako pointed out that the nominee, in the Facebook post,
made derogatory remarks about the entire Tiv ethnic group in the state.
Dyako told the House that: “Mr Gisaor said in Tiv dialect
‘your nyash’ to all the Tiv people in his post, which I find very derogatory
from a person of his standing.”
Dyako said one person who commented on Gisaor’s Facebook
post advised him to delete the post and apologise but he refused to do so.
When asked to defend himself, the nominee explained that he
met an elderly woman during a fight between the Yarev and Ikparev people of
Tyo-mu in Makurdi and it was the woman who insulted the Tiv people while
talking to him.
“I was merely quoting the woman but the recording I made of
the woman’s reply to me when I asked what caused the fight, unfortunately, got
deleted from the post,” Gisaor stated.
However, the lawmakers refused to buy Gisaor’s explanation
as they all agreed that the nominee was not fit to hold such a public office
and urged the House not to confirm his nomination.
Ruling, the Speaker, Hyacinth Dajoh, said the nominee never
quoted anyone while making the post, so it was assumed that it was his opinion.
The Speaker, therefore, asked the governor to nominate
another person in place of Gisaor.