Barely 24 hours after returning from the United States where he was bedridden for months, ailing governor of Taraba State, Danbaba Suntai has reportedly ‘written’ to the State House of Assembly seeking to resume office as the state governor.
DailyPost gathered the letter was received by the Speaker of the House of Assembly, Rt. Honorable Istifanus Gbana on Monday.
Suntai, who has been abroad for medical attention after last year’s plane crash, yesterday returned to the country aboard a chartered Gulfstream jet.
The embattled governor in the said letter claimed that he had fully recovered from his injuries and was ready to resume office as the governor of the state.
Sources said the letter is being treated with disdain by members of the House; who have been barred from seeing or hearing from the governor after 24 hours of his return.
Danbaba Suntai came back to Nigeria after a prolonged medical treatment in Germany and America due to injuries he sustained in the plane crash accident in Yola, Adamawa State in October 2012 but it is still quite obvious that the ailing governor could still not walk unaided. Suntai was helped down from the aircraft even after 10 months of treatment in both Germany and the USA. It is quite obvious from the pictures in the media that Mr. Suntai could still not walk on his own.
On whether he could run the affairs of Taraba State, Mr. Rime Shawulu, a friend of Mr. Suntai and former NDDC board member, said it would be up to his doctor to determine when he could resume.
“He was prevented from talking to newsmen because he was weak, but when he must have rested, he can talk to journalists. Though doctors say he is okay, he still has physical challenge on his legs.
“When he goes back to Jalingo and maybe transmits a letter to the House, he can resume, but if he cannot, there are constitutional provisions to follow. However, he is not in any competition with his deputy,” Shawulu explained.
Mr. John Dara, a personal friend to the governor, also told journalists in a chat that he had been in touch with him since the accident and had fully been in the picture.
When asked to assess the governor’s situation, Dara said he was excited but explained that after the long flight from America, he was weak and tired.
He however, stressed that Suntai was able to recognize everyone that came around which, according to him, indicated that he was still mentally alert contrary to speculation in some quarters.
DailyPost gathered that the letter is obviously the handiwork of his wife, Mrs. Hauwa Suntai and some of his loyalists who are hell bent on creating a political crisis in the state that would enable President Goodluck Jonathan to declare a state of emergency there.
Meanwhile, the Taraba State House of Assembly has said it would invite the governor to appear before the Assembly and address them regarding his health and plans to resume work.
The picture of a man being helped by aides down the gangway of an aircraft fuels the speculation that Governor Suntai is gravely ill, incapable of discharging the functions of his office. The failure of Governor Suntai to address the media or the people of Taraba state since his arrival in Jalingo also appears indicative of a more serious medical case.
We have travelled the beaten path before. Recall President Yar’Adua’s saga. As it was then, so it is now: a public servant, feeling very poorly, is corralled by criminal cabal intent on subverting the spirit and letters of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended).
Today, like yesteryear, Governor Suntai is imprisoned by his aides and a wife who is more interested in power than that the desire to help her husband deal with his fate, the circumstances he has found himself, away from prying and inquisitive public. Nigerians must help Governor Suntai out of his misery.
The Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended) is very clear. Section 189 provides that:
• The Governor or Deputy Governor of a State shall cease to hold office if:
• By a resolution passed by two-thirds majority of all members of the executive council of the state, it is declared that the Governor or Deputy Governor is incapable of discharging the functions of his office; and
• The declaration in paragraph (a) of this subsection is verified, after such medical examination as may be necessary by a medical panel established under subsection (4) of this section in its report to the Speaker of the House of Assembly
• Where the panel certifies in its report that in its opinion the Governor or Deputy Governor is suffering from such infirmity of body or mind as renders him permanently incapable of discharging the functions of his office, a notice thereof signed by the Speaker of the House of Assembly shall be published in the Official Gazette of the Government of the State.
• The Governor or Deputy Governor shall cease to hold office as from the date of publication of the notice of the medical report pursuant to subsection (2) of this section.
• The medical panel to which this section relates shall be appointed by the Speaker of the House of Assembly of the State, and shall comprise five medical practitioners in Nigeria.
The above section doesn’t need the adumbration of the court, nor does it elicit interpretation beyond what the Constitution charges named statutory bodies to give it its simple and plain meaning. Therefore, we call on the executive council of Taraba state and the Speaker of the Taraba state House of Assembly to give effect to the Constitution; and to without delay:
• Pass a resolution declaring Governor Suntai incapable of discharging the functions of his office;
• Appoint a medical panel as directed by Section 189 (4) to investigate the true medical state of Governor Suntai
Pursuant to the foregoing, we call on the Attorney-General of the Federation, as Chief Law Officer, and the Attorney-General of Taraba state to immediately initiate steps to protect and secure the sanctity of the Constitution. We shall serve no other notice of our intention to approach the court to compel them to discharge their constitutional functions if they fail to do so within seven (7) days of the publication of this press statement.
For those who ask: what is it with Taraba state and why Governor Suntai? Our response is that constitutional infractions undermine the integrity of constitutional democracy everywhere. And for a nascent democracy like ours, Taraba state poses a dangerous precedent; and it behoves us as Nigerians to resist this clear abuse and subversion of our constitution.
Excerpts from DailyPost, SaharaReporters, and Sunnewsonline
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