Tag: Dambaba Suntai

In this piece, human rights activist Comrade Lanre Suraju contends that the political impasse in Taraba State may continue to undermine governance, the constitution and democracy.

Community-Based Organisations, (CBOs), professional organisations and the human rights community have expressed concern about developments in Taraba State.

In recent times, governance has virtually collapsed in Taraba State and there seems to be the conspiracy of silence across the country. For one thing, Taraba is in the Northeast, distant from the mainstream media and isolated from the economic hubs in Nigeria.

Events in this remote state continue to suffer excommunication and isolation from the rest of the country. This is to the excruciating pains of the people of Taraba State, whose economic and political lives are negatively being affected by the inactivity of an ailing governor, who nevertheless has become enslaved and trapped by a cabal that has no legitimacy, no constitutional status and no political structure. Yet, the cabal continues to rule the state by exploiting the ill disposition of the legitimately elected Governor of the state, His Excellency, Dambaba Suntai.

Governor Danbaba Suntai had an accident during a crash involving a small plane, which he was flying. He was taken abroad. He was yet to fully recover when he was virtually dragged to the seat of power after he was away for 10 months, hence, the struggle for the political and economic control of the State began. In the course of this bizarre struggle, the Speaker of the State House of Assembly, Haruna Tsokwa, slumped at his residence and was rushed to Jalingo Federal Medical College where he later died and was he buried on November 28, 2013.

This incidence is reminiscence of the case involving the late President Musa Yar Adua when efforts were made by an exploitative cabal to keep him in power against his prevailing health condition.

In Taraba, a small clique fraudulently claiming to act on behalf of the ailing governor has unsuccessfully tried to hijack the leadership of the state, including the running of the finances of the state. The health challenges of the governor is being compounded by the antics of a self-serving group that wants to keep him in power, instead of allowing him to go for full medical treatment.

It is appalling that the control of political power and the resources of the state are being lifted above the safety and well-being of the state governor. It is high time Nigerians spoke out and stood on the part of the people of Taraba state who deserve good governance and the right to know the state of health of the leader they had freely elected.

This is the time to speak out against the criminal and inhuman act of a small, unfeeling group that is more concerned about making financial gains from the misfortune of the state Governor. As it is, Taraba, given the weak democratic institutions and the weak civil society tradition in this great state of cultured people, can no longer speak for itself. The Human Rights Community needs to take over this campaign for sanity in governance.

One is alarmed that the state of Suntai’s health remains undisclosed to the people that elected him. This has continued to fuel distrust and apprehension. The electorate is therefore not aware if the person they have elected is the one running the state or his unelected, curious and shadowy kitchen cabinet.

The desperation by the cabal to keep the state in its pocket reached a feverish peak recently when attempts were made to assassinate the current speaker of the House of Assembly. We should also not forget that the former speaker of the Taraba House of Assembly, Tsokwa died in mysterious circumstances.

The failure of Inspector General of Police, to investigate the forged letter to the House of Assembly said to have been written and signed by Governor Suntai is equally worrisome. The Attorney General and Minister of Justice have refused to obey the court order of an Abuja Federal High Court to cause a letter to the acting Governor of Taraba State, Alhaji Garba Umar for Medical report on Governor Suntai. An obvious indication of Conspiracy involving government at the federal level.

At present two, people are standing as governors of one state with conflicting orders. The instability in the state can lead to further break down of law and order, violence and at present constitutes another major threat to democratic renaissance in Nigeria.

The situation in Taraba has further underlined the fear that politicians value political power, its associated pecks and privileges more than human lives. The House of Assembly in Taraba is to as a matter of urgency institute the process of ascertaining the state of health of the state governor.

At the height of the controversy, the Nigeria Medical Association, NMA, intervened, volunteering that it was better for Suntai to resume his treatment in New York where he came from. The association used the opportunity to appeal to governments in this country to vote more money to the health sector. This is to stem down the huge quantum of medical tourism Nigerians currently indulge in. Suntai has refused to either accept NMA’s counsel or allow the state government function with his deputy as his replacement inspite of overwhelming evidence that it would be better to subscribe to both. The National Assembly has been too busy to intervene on this even as the greatest beneficiary of the child of necessity theory in governance, President Jonathan, has also chosen to be indifferent.

For now, Taraba is one of the few states that hardly make newspaper headlines on account of violent fights. As the fate of the governor hangs in the balance, especially with the sudden demise of the Speaker of the state House of Assembly, violence may not be far from bursting open. How often shall it be repeated that those who make peaceful change impossible shall make violent change inevitable? As we speak, neither the concerned state governments nor the Federal Government has any workable solution to the Ombatse phenomenon in Nasarawa. Yet, the protracted Plateau State killings which has taken the lives of thousands including that of a senator remains far from over as it renews by the day.

As the chief executive of his state, Governor Suntai swore to defend the constitution on assumption of office but the extent of his faithfulness to this today, after a long period of self-inflicted fate, leaves a lot to be desired. Not only has he denied the state the leadership he promised, the character of the leadership he was even able to offer will hardly qualify as a model for anyone. Governor Suntai allegedly acquired three aircrafts, following his assumption of office as the governor of a state that has no airport. The implication of this is clear: He is an absentee governor and got his absenteeism prolonged, even if unwillingly.

Olanrewaju Suraju is the chairman, CSNAC