Suntai: Uncertainty over Taraba cabinet

SEPTEMBER 9, 2013  

Taraba State Governor, Mr. Danbaba Suntai

There is uncertainty in Taraba State over the face of the new cabinet agreed by all parties to the political impasse in the state.

Governor Danbaba Suntai had, on return from medical treatment abroad and after transmitting a letter to the members of the House of Assembly, dissolved the State Executive Council and replaced the Secretary to the State Government and the Chief of Staff

The action was however rejected and reversed by the deputy governor, Alhaji Umar Garba, who had been acting since Suntai was flown abroad for treatment in October 2012.

The Peoples Democratic Party Committee on the crisis, led by Senator Hope Uzodinma, had proposed a political arrangement whereby Suntai remained the governor, but Garba would be in charge of the state in consultation with loyalists of the ailing governor.

But the face of what the cabinet would look like has pitted the two camps against each other. While the Suntai camp is rooting for the status ante pending the determination of a suit the governor, said to be brain-damaged, filed against the state lawmakers, loyalists of the acting governor are insisting that the dissolution by Suntai be reversed and the erstwhile SSG and CoS reinstated.

The PUNCH learnt on Sunday that while series of meetings had been holding with a view to reach amicable position on the Taraba issue, success had however been hard to come by because the recommendation of the Uzodinma committee was said to have been rejected by the Senate.

In Taraba, the eight members of the House who supported Suntai were said to have been holding meetings with some prominent senators from the state to resolve the political logjam while the governor had been granted accelerated hearing of his suit. The hearing comes up on Thursday.

Senior Special Assistant on Media to Suntai, Mr. Sylvanus Yakubu, told our correspondent on Sunday that since the case was before the court it had become prejudicial for anybody to tamper with the status quo.

He said that the acting governor had agreed to abide by the resolution of the committee, which said that he must not take a major decision without consulting the governor.

“The decision was that the acting governor cannot take any decision without consulting his principal and this position, which, I know, as at now has not changed.

“We also have to wait for the final discharge of the court process before we know the next step”, the SSA said.