BEING TEXT OF A PRESS CONFERENCE BY COMRADE SAATER TISEER THE MAJORITY LEADER OF THE 10" BENUE STATE HOUSE OF ASSEMBLY

ZAPA DOES NOT SPEAK FOR ME 

 18'th AUGUST 2023 

Gentlemen of the Press; 

My attention has been drawn to a press release credited to a group called Zone A People’s Assembly (ZAPA) and purported to be authored by myself Comrade Saater Tiseer, Majority Leader of the 10" Benue State House of Assembly, HE Gabriel Suswam, Rt. Hon. Ikyange Terkimbi, Engr. Dan Ashiekaa, Dr. Annawa, Kula Ter Najime and Fanen Mondo respectively dated 14"° August 2023. 

Just for the fact that, one of the signatories to the text under reference, was not identified correctly indicated that the document was not authored by those people alleged to have authored same. There is no way Dan Ashiekaa could have addressed himself as Engr. Dan Ashiekaa. There is an Engr. Peter Ashiekaa not Dan. Again that the alleged authors including myself Saater Tiseer did not append any signatures made the write-up so unofficial and most unserious especially, such important releases like this would require signing by the authors to own up such a document. 

I state abundantly and undeniably clear that, as the Majority Leader of the 10" Benue State House of Assembly, I do not lack any space, time and fronts to state my issues and concerns on any media platform within my ambits and comfort, and as such would not descend so low to disrespect my office, personality and character to hide under pseudo accounts to author the said press conference. 

Let it also be known unambiguously and unmistakably that, Comrade Saater Tiseer is not a member of ZAPA and has never intended or contemplated at any moment 

joining the assembly called ZAPA. 

Permit me to honourably state categorically that, | Comrade Saater Tiseer is a good student of history who hails from Ushongo and so has no business with the appointments of Tiv sons from Jemgbagh extraction knowing fully well that in the 

short lived government of Umaru Musa Yar’adua and that of Goodluck Jonathan 

2007 - 2015, Ushongo people had enjoyed the opportunity of serving Nigerians in various capacities at the Federal Government: 

1. Justice Katsina Alu - Chief Judge of Nigeria. 

2. Michael KaaseAondoakaa SAN - Minister of Justice and Attorney General of the Federation. 

3. Dr. Paul Orhii - DG NAFDAC 

4. Mr. Robert Orya - MD/CEO NEXIM Bank 

5. Mrs. Mzamber Waziri - Chairman EFCC. 

It is also on record that I Comrade Saater Tiseer, wrote a letter to the then Tor Tiv, His Royal Majesty Alfred Akawe Torkula, requesting a kind conferment of a Chieftaincy title on the person of Chief Michael Kaase Aondoakaa SAN, for the laudable works he did for the Tiv Kingdom and race, facilitating the appointments of competent, experienced and erudite Tiv sons and daughters into political ‘positions and other loads of quiet employment opportunities offered them amidst other landmark achievements. You can find that in the archives of the Kwa Tor Tiv. 

I know that the purported press conference that we are said to co-author is a cheap, shameful and low acts of actors of mischief and perpetrators of disunity, calculated to cause disaffection in order to widen the walls of disunity. It is laughable, inglorious, infamous and unpopular that such archaic and barbaric acts are making 

round the streets of our revered nation. 

Furthermore, to educate the promoters of lethal hatred and sponsors of acts of disaffection, Kula Ter Najime, is the Chief Press Secretary to His Excellency, Very Revd Fr. Dr. Hyacinth Iormem Alia and so would not cheapen his office to operate under pseudo accounts hence he controls a litany of press men. Rt. Hon. Terkimbi Ikyange is a Former Speaker of the Benue State House of Assembly and a Commissioner designate, who is screened and confirmed and ordinarily legion of press men would want to hear him speak at all times on diverse issues, so would 

not shamelessly dishonor himself, family and people as purported. 

And as earlier mentioned, there is no Engr. Dan Ashiekaa, but let it be known that Mr. Dan Ashiekaa is a Millionaire who is busy with business and can organize a press conference of international magnitude at any time. Comrade Saater Tiseer is the Majority Leader who is also busy with other concerned elected government officials to fix the rot suffered by the Benue People and has not time for frivolities, 

Additionally, I believe that the mischief makers are only jealous of the Ushongo People and would want to cast us in bad light but we cannot be cowed by unpleasant activities of vultures of destruction. As it stands, Ushongo Local Government area has two commissioner nominees, screened and confirmed, two special Advisers, two Senior Special Assistants designate without forgetting to mention that the Chief Press Secretary to the Governor and the Majority Leader of ‘the Benue State House of Assembly are from Ushongo. We have no reason to be ungrateful to the Tiv nation where Ushongo has played key roles and continue to maximally contribute in quantum heap the survival, unity and development of the Tiv nation. We have no business with issues raised in the ZAPA press conference where the real authors have owned up to it but that evil men and women are hell bent to harvest animosity as they promote dissent. 

Finally, I call on all well-meaning citizens of Benue State, home, abroad and all those who have had time to follow the unfortunate trends of mischief makers and vultures of disharmony to discountenance the concerns ‘on the publication released and to also discountenance the fact that Kula Ter Najime, Rt. Hon. Terkimbi Ikyange, Engr. Dan Ashiekaa as wrongly written, and Hon. Saater Tiseer are not and will not sponsor or author such a press conference. 

We are committed, dedicated, respectful and law-abiding as we sacrificed every now and then for the Tiv nation to remain united, developed and better for the peace, welfare and security of our people. 

We therefore, heartily congratulate His Excellency, Distinguished Sen. George 

Akume, Secretary to the Government of the Federation for been an influential leader who attracts good things and dividends of democracy to his people. We sincerely encourage him to do more for the unity, progress and development of the Tiv nation, Benue State and Nigeria at large.

Comrade Saater Tiseer

Majority Leader of the BSHA