Taraba Lawmakers Say Suntai Unfit to Govern, He should go back to US

The Speaker of Taraba State House of Assembly, Haruna Tsokwa, has announced that the lawmakers have decided to ask Governor Danbaba Suntai to go back to the United States to continue his treatment.

The lawmakers asked the governor to return to the U.S. to continue his rehabilitation programme and only come back to run his office when he is fully fit.

Mr. Tsokwa, who addressed journalists in Jalingo on Thursday morning, said the decision of members follows their visit to Mr. Suntai on Wednesday night.

He said the lawmakers were convinced Mr. Suntai is not fit to return to office.

Now, an absurd drama is playing out after Hajia Hauwa, the wife of Governor Danbaba Suntai tried to prevail upon the lawmakers not to impeach him.

The legislators have already signed their signatures for the impeachment of the governor.

The legislators began the impeachment move yesterday after the governor announced the dissolution of the state cabinet through his Senior Special Assistant on Media, Sylvanus Giwa.

Sources this morning said that Hauwa got wind of the impeachment move and quickly arranged for the Speaker of the State House of Assembly, Haruna Tsokwa, and a few other legislators to visit the governor.

Since Suntai was hurriedly brought back from America last Sunday, Hauwa did not allow the Speaker or the Acting Governor, Garba Umar, to have audience with him.

Our sources said that during yesterday’s meeting with the governor, he could not recognise the Speaker or call him by his name.

Suntai was said to be muttering “oh, my friend… my friend… my friend” and faded off again.

It further emerged that in spite of Hauwa’s intervention, the legislators are going ahead with their impeachment plan as 17 of them have already signed the impeachment notice.

The legislators are said to be angry about the allegedly stage-managed video of Suntai’s purported broadcast to the people of the state yesterday.

Residents of the state who spoke this morning said there was nothing like a live broadcast by the ailing governor as reported by a section of the media today, adding that it was a stage-managed recorded tape that the state owned television station broadcast yesterday.

Our sources also said the swearing in of the new Secretary to the State Government, SSG, Timothy Kataps, was also stage-managed as none of the documents pertaining to his swearing in was signed by the Commissioner for Oaths.