Newspaper report-Suntai’s letter not written by him, says TarabaAssembly

The situation in Taraba State degenerated into utter confusion yesterday as the House of Assembly declared Governor Danbaba Suntai medically unfit to govern the state.

The Assembly also advised the ailing governor to proceed for further medical treatment.

The development came as the acting governor Garba Umar called on the people to disregard announcement of the dissolution of the State Executive Council, purportedly on Suntai’s directive on Wednesday.

The lawmakers, who
reaffirmed Umar as the acting governor of the state, took the decision consequent upon their rejection of Governor Suntai’s letter of resumption of duty.

In a statement signed by 16 out of the 24 members of the House of Assembly, the legislators said the decision was taken in the interest of the state.

The statement reads in part: “The leadership of the Assembly made several efforts to see the governor since his arrival, but till Wednesday they were not allowed access to him.

“The ailing governor spoke in a manner that brought more doubt to his letter purportedly transmitted to the speaker.

“In view of the above, we, the undersigned members of the state Assembly unanimously resolved at our meeting that the deputy governor, upon whom power was earlier transmitted to by the state Assembly, still remain the acting Governor of Taraba.

“He will continue to act in that regard until such a time the governor is capable of administering the state.”

The members, who appended their signatures are: Haruna Tsokwa (Speaker), Tanko Maikarfi (deputy speaker), Muhammed Gwampo (chief whip), Josiah Sabo Kente (deputy majority leader), Muhammed Umar (deputy chief whip), Ibrahim Adamu Imam (minority leader), Yahaya Abdurahman (minority whip) and Iratsi Daki.

Also on the list are Rashida Abdullahi, Aminu Umar Jalingo, Emmanuel Dame, John Bonzena, Dr. A. Jugulde, Hammanadama Abdullahi, Abdulkarim Muhammed and Edward Baraya.

The lawmakers expressed doubt about the authenticity of the letter transmitted by the governor to the Speaker, informing the Assembly of his resumption of duty as governor.

They stressed that their visit to the governor on Wednesday revealed that he (Suntai) spoke in a manner that brought more doubt to his authorship of the letter purportedly written by him and transmitted to the Speaker.

“The public is aware of the way and manner the governor was brought into the state last Sunday,” the statement added.

Rejecting the dissolution of the SEC by Suntai, Umar in a statement signed by his Press Secretary, Mr. Kefas Sule, said that “the announcement is a mere attempt by a cabal to hijack the machinery of governance in the state”.

It will be recalled that the Senior Special Assistant to the Governor, Mr. Sylvanus Giwa, had on Wednesday, announced the dissolution and appointment of Secretary to the State Government and Chief of Staff.

“It is not a directive that was given by the Executive Governor, His Excellency, Governor Danbaba Suntai,” said Sule in the statement.

“To this end, bankers are to note that all financial instruments relating to the State Government’s accounts should be honoured only if they are in tandem with the provisions of the law.

“The instruments must contain verifiable signature of the Executive Governor of Taraba, Danbaba Suntai and verifiable signature of Alhaji Garba Umar, the Acting Governor of Taraba State.”

The statement assured the people that substantial progress had been made to resolve the misunderstanding of the past few days.

It noted the sense of patriotism exhibited by the people of the state in the way and manner they viewed and handled developments.

It said “the moment” called for greater restraint and vigilance

However, there were indications that the lawmakers took the decision to keep Umar as acting governor outside the Assembly Complex as the vicinity was cordoned off by military and mobile policemen with the eight members, who declined to append their signatures to the press statement, believed to be inside.

Efforts by our correspondent to get the comments of the eight members were futile, as one of them contacted on the phone said that their group was holding a meeting at the Assembly Complex and would speak to the media later.

However, a former information commissioner in the just dissolved cabinet, Emmanuel Bello, dismissed the Assembly’s position, describing it as an aberration.

Bello said the action of the lawmakers lacked constitutional backing.

He said: “They are not doctors to order the governor to go for further treatment.

“All of them were at the governor’s residence yesterday (Wednesday) where they met him and he greeted them, mentioning each of them by their name; I just don’t understand what they want.”

It will be recalled that Suntai was flown out of the country for urgent medical treatment following injuries sustained in a plane crash in October 2012.

Suntai, who returned to Jalingo on August 24, wrote to the House of Assembly informing the lawmakers of his return and readiness to resume office.

The Assembly, however, asked Suntai to appear before it to enable it decide on his request.

Instead of accepting the invitation, Suntai dissolved the state executive council and appointed a new Secretary to the State Government, SSG, and new Chief of Staff, Government House.

The Senior Special Assistant to the Governor on Media and Publicity, Mr. Silvanus Giwa, announced the dissolution at a news conference on Wednesday.

Giwa, who claimed he spoke on the orders of Suntai, named the outgoing Commissioner for Justice, Mr. Timothy Kataps, as the new SSG and Alhaji Aminu Jika as Chief of Staff.

Meanwhile, a legal practitioner, Mr. Kayode Ajulo, yesterday called on the Speaker to institute a five-man medical team to examine the fitness of the governor.

He said in Abuja that the panel should include the personal physician to the governor.

“The Speaker of the House, Alhaji Haruna Tsokwa, has the power under the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria to set up a medical panel to ascertain the fitness of the governor.

“Section 189 (4a) and (4b) state that in a case where the governor is showing unfitness of sorts, the Speaker of the House shall constitute a five-member medical panel to which the “personal physician of the governor must be a member,” he said.

He noted that the outcome of the team’s medical examination of Suntai will clear the doubts as to whether or not the governor can go ahead to perform his constitutional responsibilities.

Ajulo said the constitution allowed the Speaker to institute such a panel since there was doubt on Governor Suntai’s ability to resume office, after his 10-month medical trip.

The Taraba Justice Forum also yesterday condemned as “criminal and a deceptive propaganda”, the video clip of Governor Suntai purportedly swearing-in new officials of the state, warning that Tarabans and Nigerians in general can no longer be deceived by “fake” clips.

In a statement signed by its General Secretary, Mr. John Ambulus, and made available to newsmen in Abuja, the forum declared that clips and Photoshops of various kinds have been released in the last eight months with all facts confirming them to be fake and deceptive.

The statement said: “Nigerians have seen this drama all along. Seven months ago, we saw a clip without a voice. Governor Jonah Jang released a clip also without a voice, now, another clip with doubtful voicing. If Governor Suntai actually showed up and swears in his SSG and Chief of Staff, why was there no voice? Why were journalists not allowed to cover the event? If he actually addressed the state, why was it difficult for him to meet state leaders? This clip is a sham.

“Luckily for us all, the lawmakers met the governor and confirmed that the man cannot recognise them. The legislators are saviours of democracy and we urge them to stand firm because history will judge them well. The cabal behind late Yar’Adua drama was punished by history; the same will happen to those punishing a sick governor and running Taraba into crisis.