A leading human right group in Nigeria,Committee for Democracy and Rights of the People(CDRP) has urged the ruling Peoples Democratic Party(PDP) particularly its leadership and friends of ailing Governor Danbaba Suntai to allow the returning Governor Suntai to address the world press conference without the support of his aides on the State of his health,just as it declared that the governance of any state in the country requires the mental and physical capability of a governor and when Governor Suntai could not perform his duty again,his deputy
should be sworn in without further delay.The group call came on a day Suntai has reportedly written a letter to the House of Assembly asking to resume work as governor .
CDRP also warned the Taraba State House of Assembly to stop the ongoing political impunity in the State and respect the constitution of Federal Republic of Nigeria by swearing the Acting State Governor,Alhaji Garba Umar,said that no amount of shielding of Suntai from public could save him from relinquishing power to the Acting Governor of the State,adding that the absence of Governor Suntai from the state for over 10 months was unconstitutional and contravening of the provisions of the 1999 constitution.
However, CDRP called on the Lawmakers not to waste the time of the Tarabans any more by swearing the Acting Governor as substantive Governor of Taraba State if ailing Governor Suntai failed to address the World Press conference within twenty four(24) hours after returning to the State,adding that the coverage of the media of the returning Governor Suntai on Sunday has shown that the Governor Suntai lacks mental and physical capability to rule the State again.
This was contained in a Statement issued and signed by group’s Acting National Coordinator, Comrade Saka Waheed and made available to newsmen in Osogbo,stressed that the political drama going on in Taraba State presently is completely at variance with the letters and spirit
of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended) and the interests of the electorate.
According to him;”While Section 186 of the Constitution creates the office of the Deputy Governor and provides in Section 189 for procedure for declaring a Governor or Deputy Governor permanently incapacitated, leaderships of the State and the Federation have
pretended as if the provisions of Section 189 of the Constitution did not exist and as if the health condition of Governor Suntai Danbaba and his inability to speak with his people or House of Assembly did not fit into such as to make such a declaration in line with Section 189 of the Constitution.
“It is incontrovertible that Governor Suntai Danbaba is not fit to discharge the functions of his office since October 25, 2012 when his plane crashed in Adamawa. While it was very clear that he suffered brain damage in the accident and could not recognize anybody, the cabal in Taraba State and People’s Democratic Party seem hell bent on refusing to allow the Deputy Governor perform the functions of the Governor and would rather ran the government of Taraba aground in a manner reminiscent of the latter days of President Yar’Adua in
office”.
His words:”While we all pray for quick recovery of Governor Danbaba and his imminent return to office, it is certain that we must all deplore a situation where an elected Deputy Governor is prevented from performing his lawful functions under the Constitution simply because
a group of people feel that their personal and egotistic interests are better preserved by pretending that an ailing Governor is still in full charge of affairs. These unelected individuals, massaging the ego of the wife of the Governor, have succeeded in running the State of
Taraba for so long and close to one year now in the shadow of the first lady. Such is never allowed in a civilized clime and it must be abhorred in this country”.
Comrade Waheed further disclosed that some cabal like loser Chairman of illegal Governors’ Forum and Plateau State governor, Mr Jona Jang thought that Taraba State could be governed by proxy, stressing that the federal government and PDP have also reduced such an issue of
national importance to another family affair, at the expense of political stability, accountable governance and transparency.
Calling on all the progressive elements across the country to demand the immediate public disclosure of the state of health of Mr Suntai Danbaba and to be allowed to address a World press conference to assure the residents of Taraba State who elected him that he is fit to continue in the discharge of their affairs.
“CDRP wants to urge the Peoples Democratic Party(PDP) led Federal government to concentrate on providing quality leadership and social development for Nigerians and desist from distracting the populace with avoidable political upheavals that has become synonymous with its government each time citizens protests against government’s maladministration or workers demand their fundamental entitlement.
We understand that the ailing Governor Suntai (was) brought back to Nigeria on Sunday to deceive the people particularly, the people of Taraba State, thereby making the handlers of the returning jamboree to publicize the arrival of Governor Suntai for sometime before he finally arrived the country on Sunday”, Waheed Stated.
