The convalescing governor of Taraba State, Governor Danbaba Suntai has expressed disappointment over what he described as his deputy, Alhaji Garba Umar’s disloyalty to constituted authority.
Umar had been the state acting governor over 10 months ago since Suntai sustained injuries in an aircraft he personally flew crashed in Adamawa.
According to Suntai’s Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Mr. Sylvanus Yakubu, the governor and the entire people of the Taraba state feel betrayed by the actions of Umar..
Besides, a former Speaker of the Taraba State House of Assembly, Alhaji Habu Isa, has said that Umar’s continued stay in office as acting governor was constitutional.
Isa stated on Thursday that Umar’s tenure as acting governor was constitutional after the House had passed a resolution for him to continue to act in the capacity of the governor until Suntai is fit to take charge of the affairs of the state.
“The lawmakers were convinced that the governor they met was not the source of the letter of resumption sent to the House. Their effort to set up a médical panel was blocked when by proxy, the state executive council was dissolved.
“Left with no other option in the interim, the State Assembly passed a resolution mandating Alhaji Umar to continue in acting capacity”, he said,
Suntai accused his deputy of betrayal adding Umar’s declared statement 100 per cent loyalty to Suntai is a fluke and “His (Umar’s) activities are a direct opposite of what he keeps saying.”
In a statement by Yakubu in the Taraba State capital, Jalingo, on Thursday, it was added that he had personally lost the respect for Umar, stating: “The deputy governor keeps talking of 100 per cent loyalty, but the reverse is the case; his people are in court against Governor Suntai,” he said.
Umar was also accused of being the sole financier in the suit Danbaba filed against some members of the House of Assembly in addition to the allegation that Umar bribed the state lawmakers to transmit power to him to continue to act,
“What we want is to see him (Umar) showing concern for the governor’s health, and loyalty to his principal, by negotiating with him on how to resolve the political impasse.
“The governor had on August 28 announced the dissolution of the executive and new appointments but Umar disregarded the dissolution. A cabal was trying to hijack the machinery of government”, Yakubu stated.