Following the dramatic turn of events at the return of the governor of Taraba State, DanBaba Suntai from medical treatment abroad, an Ex-Commissioner for Information in Taraba State, Mr. Emmanuel Bello, has indicted the Deputy Governor, Alhaji Garba Umar, of running not just a parallel government but also an illegal one in the state.
Bello who is among the commissioners recently sacked by Suntai after his return from hospitalization abroad, said in a statement on Wednesday that it is glaring that Umar runs an illegal and unconstitutional parallel government in the State.
Bello also questioned Umar’s loyalty to the governor stating: “Or how else do we describe a situation where Governor Danbaba Danfulani Suntai is back to office but his deputy still goes round calling himself the acting governor?
The statement read in parts: “Our constitution does not recognise such a strange contraption no matter the circumstances. The governor is in town and his deputy continues to carry out the functions of a governor. It is sacrilegious!
“For the records, Suntai returned to the country after 10 months of medical treatment abroad. He transmitted a letter to the House of Assembly as the constitution stipulates.
“But the leadership of the state House of Assembly, acting under the instructions of Umar, criminally rejected the letter, alleging it was forged. Now, the constitution did not give them such rights. The transmitted letter was not for any debate or admittance by the house.”
“Even when Suntai dissolved the cabinet, Umar said the dissolution should be disregarded. Currently, he has an SSG and a Chief of Staff, appointed solely by him. Suntai on his return appointed and sworn in a new Secretary to the State Government but Umar continue to work with his own SSG. Where is the “100 percent’’ loyalty in all of his action? Under which part of our constitution is he operating?”
Bello also accused the National Chairman of the People’s Democratic Party, Alhaji Bamanga Tukur, of foisting an illegality on the state by insisting that Umar should continue as an acting governor when the governor was still alive.
“Also, as soon as the governor returned, Tukur said ‘they would reject any government by proxy.’ Since then, Umar has continue to run the government. He has scandalously refused to revert to his proper place as deputy.
It is pertinent to recall that Suntai transmitted a controversial letter his intention to take over the reign of the state and has also appeared in an allegedly fictitious video of a press briefing.
However, he has not been seen in public after the drama that ensued immediately after his 10-month sojourn in foreign land for medical treatment of an allegedly damaged brained.