Uncertainty Over Suntai’s Whereabouts

In spite of the unfolding controversy over the propriety of the medical fitness of Taraba State Governor, Danbaba Suntai, to govern the state and the political impasse on who is actually ruling the state, uncertainty is now trailing the whereabouts of the ailing governor.

A well informed source who sought anonymity because of the sensitive nature of the matter, confided to LEADERSHIP Friday last night that the governor might have been taken to an unknown destination for urgent medical treatment.

He added that four Hilux buses drove to the airport at about 5p.m yesterday and after some couple of minutes, the private plane that brought the governor to Jalingo on Sunday suddenly took off”.

According to the source,  ‘‘the governor is too ill to even recognise his aides, but a group who feel that permutations for who becomes the governor of the state in 2015 will not favour them realised that with the governor away on treatment for so long, they would lose out.

“So, they moved to bring him back. And you can see from the media reports and the different photographs during his return on Sunday that the governor is not in a right frame of mind to do anything. Don’t forget that the governor did not say a single word during that day.

“But when seven members of the House of Assembly met him yesterday, they were shocked on the grounds that he could not recognise any of the lawmakers”.

But another source who gave his name as Joshua Tanimu confessed that the governor is receiving urgent medical attention, claiming that Suntai is currently at the intensive care within the Government House.

He said, “I can confirm to you that Suntai is in Jalingo, but he is in a critical situation, so he is in intensive care. He is closely monitored by doctors”.

LEADERSHIP FRIDAY further gathered from another source at about  the time of going to press yesterday that Suntai was sighted in one of the highbrow areas in Abuja for undisclosed reasons.

 

Acting governor reverses sack order, direct commissioners, others to resume work

But the Acting Governor for the state, Alhaji Garba Umar, has reversed the dissolution of the cabinet by the spokesman of Suntai, which directed the commissioners and the special advisers to hand over to their permanent secretaries.

 Umar further  asked members of the general public to disregard yesterday’s announcement of the purported dissolution of the State Executive Council and the appointment of  a secretary to the state government as well as chief of staff.

In a statement issued yesterday in Jalingo by his press secretary, Mr Kefas Sule and  made available to LEADERSHIP Friday, Umar said that the announcement of the dissolution of the state Excos and the appointment of a secretary to the state government as well as chief of staff was a mere attempt by a cabal to hijack the machinery of government in the state.

The acting governor said “The dissolution of the Excos was not a directive by the Executive Governor”.

He also re-assured the people of the state that substantial progress has been made in the ongoing discussion to resolve the misunderstandings of the past few days since the return of Suntai.

The statement added that Umar was happy to note the high sense of patriotism and the brotherly manner with which Tarabians have been viewing and handling the developments, urging them to sustain this in the coming days and weeks ahead.

The statement further reminded  all Tarabians that a moment like this calls for greater restraint and vigilance and  urged the banks in the state  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 statement further states that, “They (financial transactions) must contain verifiable signature of the Executive Governor of Taraba State, His Excellency, Governor Danbaba Danfulani Suntai or the verifiable signature of the acting Governor, Alhaji Garba Umar for the Executive Governor”.


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