My position on Taraba Drama. Since the return of Suntai, the dejure and substantive Governor of Taraba State,there have been a sort of power play that I will like to call"Theatre of the Absurd" .My reasons for giving it that name is not unconnected with the position of the Constitution in respect of the case in question. Paragraph 189(1) of the constitution of the federal Republic of Nigeria clearly defines the processes of Removing a Governor from office on incapacity grounds. 1)The Governor shall cease to hold office if- (a)by a resolution passed by 2/3 majority of all members of the executive council of the state,it is declared that the Governor is incapable of discharging functions of gis office ;and (b)the declaration in paragraph (a)of this subsection is verified after such medical examination as may be necessary,by a medical panel established under subsection (4) of this section in its report to the speaker of house of Assembly. (2) where the medical panel certifies in its report that in its opinion, the Governor is suffering in such infirmity of body or mind has renders him "permanent incapable ", of discharging the functions of his office, a notice thereof signed by the speaker if the House of Assembly should be published in the official newspaper of the Government of the state. (3) the Governor shall cease to hold office as from the date of publication of the notice of the medical report pursuant to section (2) of this section. (4) the medical panel to which this section relates shall be appointed by the speaker of the state and shall comprise five medical practitioners in Nigeria. The issues The onus lies in those who think Suntai is unfit to govern the state to establish that Suntai is "PERMANENTLY "incapacitated". (2)Has the Speaker followed due process when he announced without a medical report from a constituted panel of medical practitioners? Since that has not been done,is it not common sense that until it is done,that Suntai is the Governor of Taraba State? And in his position as the Governor, is it not within the ambitious of law to dissolve his exco? It is high time,Nigerians stopped playing dumb politics,I feel, a speaker of a House of Assembly should know the law. He should leave Suntai alone,for now,at least,he,by virtue of the tenets of the constitutional Provision regarding these matter, remains the Governor.
Posted on: Fri, 30 Aug 2013 16:39:43 +0000
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