Update On Taraba State/House Of Assembly Divided Over Letter From The Ailing Governor/Assembly Alleges Forgery Of Governor's Signature.

The Taraba State House of Assembly is presently divided over the resumption of Danbaba Suntai as Governor of Taraba State, we gathered that a section of the House on Tuesday conveyed its approval for Governor Suntai to immediately resume following his written request to so do on Monday. This decision the assembly stated nullified his deputy, Alhaji Garba Umar, from being Acting Governor.

Briefing newsmen at the state assmbly complex in Jalingo, the House Majority Leader, Hon. Joseph Albasu who represents Lau constituency said the House received the governor’s letter and gave him the go ahead to assume his constitutional role as governor of the state.The Speaker, HaZruna Tsokwa, was however absent as at the time of the briefing, but his deputy assured he was speaking on behalf of every member of the House.

Lawmakers who accompanied the deputy speaker to the briefing were: Hon. Charles Maijankai (Karim-Lamido constituency), Ishaya Gani (Wukari).It was gathered  that while the deputy speaker claims that Suntai was physically and mentally fit to govern the state, a section of the House had alleged that the signature appended on the governor’s letter was forged.The lawmakers, believed to be pro-Umar also said they were stopped from seeing Suntai, “an indication that he is not fit”.

The deputy speaker when confronted with the allegation dismissed same as mischievous.Albasu said: “We saw Governor Suntai in New York and now that he has returned, and judging from the conversation we had with him, the governor is sound to resume work.”According to him, “The governor could have thump printed the letter, if he wished, provided forensic test shows he is the one.”The Majority Leader said: “Pharm. Danbaba Suntai who is the Executive Governor of Taraba State has transmitted a letter to this very House indicating his intention to resume work and take over the functions of the state as the executive governor.

“The letter was caused and addressed to the Taraba State House of Assembly, and I, as the Majority Leader being the Chairman of the business of this Assembly received the letter.”The Clerk of the House acknowledged the letter and handed over to the Speaker of the Taraba State House of Assembly Hon. Haruna Tsokwa.”Governor Suntai has complied with the provisions of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, in Section 190(2)”.

Meanwhile, the legislators alleging forgery of Suntai’s signature have demanded the ailing governor to appear before the house.Reacting to their demand, the House majority leader maintained that the Constitution does not compel a governor to appear before the house on the matter in contention.”The governor can even transmit a letter in soft copy via e-mail to the House.

But Suntai went a step further to transmit a letter to us in hard copy, so what are those mischief makers talking about?He said it is even against the Constitution for the House to hold plenary on the matter.”This issue is not a debative matter anywhere in the world.

Governor Suntai has done exactly what the Constitution requires him to do”, he said.It would be recalled that Suntai returned into the country on Sunday after spending 10 months in Germany and United States, treating the injuries sustained when a plane he piloted crashed near Yola, Adamawa State on October 25, last year.