Tinubu, Ambode, Fashola and Shasore. JUDE OWUAMANAM writes on the intrigues that led to the suspension of former Taraba State Deputy Governor, Mr. Sani Danladi, and his eventual reinstatement by the Supreme Court On October 4, 2012, Sani Danladi, a former deputy governor of Taraba State was impeached by 20 out of the 24 members of the Taraba State House of Assembly, following the recommendations of a seven-man committee led by Mr. Nasiru Dangiri. Danladi was removed less than a month after he was served an impeachment notice by the legislators. He was subsequently replaced by Garba Umar. When Governor Danbaba Suntai appointed Umar, there were high hopes that the religious divide in the state would be narrowed. Suntai had reportedly used Umar’s appointment to appease the Muslim community. On October 25, 2012, Suntai was involved in air crash when a plane he was piloting crashed near Yola Airport. Few days later, Suntai was flown to a German hospital when his condition could not get better. His absence made it necessary for Umar to take over the reins of government pending Suntai’s recovery and return to work. But fate dealt a cruel blow on Suntai when he became almost brain dead as a result of the injuries he sustained. Umar, who pledged a cordial working relationship with Suntai took full control as soon as Suntai situation deteriorated. Thereafter he moved to dismantle his boss’ political structure to pave the way for his own political ascendancy. On July 9, 2013, Umar fired the Secretary to the State Government, Emmanuel Njiwah, five commissioners and two special advisers for allegedly mismanaging N400m said to be Federal Government intervention for victims of flooding and other natural disaster in the state. The commissioners, who were fired by Umar, included Anthony Jellason (Agriculture), Rob Usman (Water Resources and Rural Development), Yakubu Agbaizo (Education), Charity Green (Women Affairs) and Jonah Agyo (Works). Some commissioners also resigned in principle. The two special advisers who also got the governor’s hammer were Joshua Augustine (Revenue Matters) and Mannaseh Kaura(Boarder Development). Umar’s action followed the indictment of the six officials by the State House of Assembly. The assembly indicted the executive council members after adopting the report of its committee that investigated the utilisation of flood funds provided by the Federal Government. This was followed few months later with the sacking of the Head of Service, Augustine Bazing, and the Chairman, Universal Basic Education board, Bubajoda Mafindi, and the swapping of some permanent secretaries. In place of Bazing and Mafindi he appointed Mrs. Asebe Maiungwa and Danladi Batulu as head of Service and UBE chairman respectively. The sacked officials were said to be loyalists of ailing Suntai, who have supported him during his travails. All these actions were said to be intended to put Umar in a good stead should he eventually assume position as the acting governor of the state. However the political events followed another course with the unexpected return of Suntai to Jalingo on August 26 after ten months of medical treatment in Germany and the U.S. His return created a political impasse over who is really in charge of affairs in the state. To show that he was still fit, Suntai, 24 hours after his return, dissolved the state executive council and appointed a new Secretary to the State Government, and a new Chief of Staff, Government House. But Umar upturned the decision of his boss, reinstating the sacked commissioners. The national headquarters of the ruling PDP tried to intervene in the political logjam by appointing the Senator Hope Uzodinma-led fact-finding committee on the health condition of Governor Suntai. On Sept 03, 2013, the committee, while briefing journalists after about a two-hour close door meeting with Suntai, and the deputy governor, stated that the impasse had been resolved with all stakeholders including Suntai’s wife, Hauwa. Meanwhile many observed that as he presided over the affairs of the state, Umar was creating political structures while frustrating all efforts by Suntai’s loyalists to assert themselves. Early this year, he sacked 24 special advisers to the state government believed to be loyalists of Suntai and appointed 24 new ones. He also blocked all efforts by Suntai to resume office, going to the extent of appointing a committee to examine Suntai’s state of health. Umar also tried to get the People’s Democratic Party’s nod to contest the 2015 governorship election. As these moves were on, Danladi was seeking his way back to the Government House. After suffering temporary setback at the Jalingo High Court, which failed to reverse his impeachment, Danladi headed to the appellate court. The Appeal Court did not grant his prayer but he would not give up as he headed to the Supreme Court. The curtain fell on Umar’s administration on November 21 when a five-man panel of judges at the Supreme Court of Nigeria reinstated Danladi and effectively ended the tenure of Umar, thus bringing the ailing governor back into contention. Special Adviser on Media to Umar, Mr. Aaron Artimas described the development as a temporary setback. He said the former acting governor had been widely accepted in the state, a fact he said was attested to by his winning the support of the majority of the delegates that voted in the party governorship primary election. “We see the hands of God in the affairs of all mortals and we see what has happened as a temporary setback. The entire team is still together and we are working to ensure that we win the primary election,” Artimas, while calling on all Tarabans to rally round the former acting governor. The newly appointed Secretary to the state Government, Mr. Timothy Kataps, however told SUNDAY PUNCH that with the new development, the darkness that had fallen on Taraba State had been lifted. “It is now time to carry all the people along and to make all Tarabans have a sense of belonging and fulfillment that there is now a government that cares for them.” Former Commissioner for Information, Mr. Emmanuel Bello, and Special Adviser, Media, to Suntai, Mr. Giwa Sylvanus, said the acting governor would continue with Suntai’s legacies Bello said, “When he gave his maiden broadcast, the acting governor stated clearly his mission to restore hope in a state that was tottering to the brink. We expect to see a resolution of all the contending issues. It also means that PDP would have easy win with all major issues dealt with. “It is the will of God that the past mistakes be corrected and the primitive pillage of Taraba state by his predecessor be brought to an end.”
Posted on: Sun, 07 Dec 2014 06:47:57 +0000
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