The political impasse
in Taraba State has taken a new dimension following reports that the travelling
passport of ailing Governor Danbaba Suntai reportedly in possession of his
aides is missing.
The development,
according to reports, is responsible for his inability to have returned
overseas for further medical treatment.
Daily Newswatch reports that apart from a grand design
to deny him medical treatment abroad, there are plans to impeach both the
ailing governor and the acting governor, Garba Umar in order to pave way for
the Speaker of the State Assembly as an interim governor, allegedly to ensure
plan to install a governor from the Southern zone of the state in 2015.
Further investigations
revealed that even while the governor’s wife had consented to further medical
treatment for her husband, an associate of Suntai said to be a top lawyer and a
retired military officer is said to have held the passport despite repeated
request of the family.
The development is
said to have created a split between the family of the governor and his
associates who are quoted as telling the governor’s family members that further
treatment abroad for Suntai would undermine the larger political agenda which
the governor’s group is pursuing.
Daily Newswatch
gathered that the non-availability of the passport has also stalled the out of
court settlement which was entered into in a case against the state assembly by
the ailing governor. “The same forces which confiscated the passport are also
said to have ordered that the family should not negotiate power transfer with
the acting governor,” said the source.
It was also gathered
that the associates in question are angered by the warm relationship existing
between Suntai’s family members and the acting governor.
In a related
development, the Taraba Transition Assembly has berated Senator Emmanuel Bwacha
for declaring his gubernatorial ambition at a time there are challenges on how
to secure further treatment for his close friend, Suntai.
In a statement issued
yesterday and signed by its publicity secretary, Samuel Gindi, the group said
“the action of the senator confirmed our consistent affirmation that those who
smuggled the governor into the country before he could complete his medical
treatment did so for their own selfish political agenda.
“Senator Bwacha by
declaring his ambition vindicates our repeated statements that Bwacha and
others are using Suntai as a tool in their ambition to rule the state in 2015.
The senator was not contented in mentioning his ambition but he also mentioned
four others, including a serving federal permanent secretary, as interested in
the governorship race.”
The group added that,
“If truly Bwacha loves Suntai, his preoccupation should be how to get the
governor to receive further medical help. Rather, he has succeeded in exposing
himself and members of the cabal whose only goal is 2015 and not the treatment
and full recuperation of Governor Suntai.”
It emphasized that,
“Now that Bwacha has exposed himself, we call on the family of the governor to
assert themselves and secure necessary treatment for him. Those who love Suntai
must step in now as the cabal has clearly unmasked and advertised its selfish
agenda.”
Daily newswatch
0 comments:
Post a Comment