GOVERNOR SUNTAI UNDER WATCH: Taraba Assembly raises panel on Suntai’s health

A medical panel has been consti­tuted to ascer­tain the health status of ailing Gover­nor Danbaba Suntai who has been out of the country for treatment abroad.

The Taraba State House of Assembly set up the five-man medical team to probe the health of Danbaba

who just returned from the United Kingdom after months of further treatment of injuries suffered when his aircraft crashed near Yola, Adamawa State on August 25, 2012,

There were speculations that Suntai was brought back home because of the Peoples Democratic Party governor­ship primaries, after which he would return abroad for med­ical attention. There were also reports that President Good­luck Jonathan paid a brief visit to Suntai at the Guest House of Gen. T.Y. Danjuma (rtd) in Abuja and later left for Aso Rock accompanied by Danjuma.

The Taraba Assembly Speaker, Josiah Sabo Kente, in a statement yesterday said it became necessary to raise the medical panel following a unanimous demand by mem­bers of the state’s executive council.

The state’s commissioners and advisers had, before Sun­tai’s return from United King­dom written the lawmakers to constitute a medical panel to ascertain the “mental and physical condition of the governor” -whether he was capable of steering the affairs of the state.

The Speaker’s statement named Prof. Bala Shehu as chairman of the panel. Other members are Dr. Inusa Sa­maila, Prof. Peter Alabi, Dr. Shehu Sule and Personal Physician to Suntai, Dr. Ahmed Kara.

The statement reads, “Con­sequent upon the receipt of the resolution of the Taraba State Executive Council meeting on September 10 2014, evoking the provision of Section 189 (1) b and 189 (4) of the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended) which request­ed me to appoint a medical panel to verify the health con­dition of the Executive Gov­ernor of Taraba State, Pharm. Danbaba Danfulani Suntai, I hereby constitute the medical panel…”

In a reaction Suntai’s camp, described the setting up of the medical panel as an illegal since the commissioners and advisers were appointed by Umar and the issue of the governor’s health were being challenged in the law court.