Watch Video - Gov Suntai Addresses Taraba State

 

The Taraba State Governor, Mr. Danbaba Suntai, finally addressed the people on Wednesday , exactly four days after his return from a 10-month medical sojourn abroad.

The brief address was however not live but through a video shown on the state-owned television station in Jalingo.

His failure to do so earlier and appear before the state House Assembly to formally intimate its members of his desire to resume work had created suspicions that he was incapable of continuing to function as the state governor.

Before the video was brodcast, he met with the lawmakers and inaugurated the newly appointed Secretary to the State Government, Timothy Kataps, as well as the Chief of Staff, Mallam Aminu Jika.

The governor, who is recuperating from injuries he sustained last October when a small aircraft he flew crashed, had earlier dissolved the state Executive Council, leaving only his special assistants.

In the address, Suntai commended the people of the state for their prayers and for standing by him in his moment of trial.

“I thank the people of Taraba State for standing by me and my family.I also thank the commissioners for holding the fort while I was away. Also enjoin all of you to continue to live in peace,” he said.

Suntai, who wore a sky blue suit and a stripe shirt, also congratulated the people on the 22nd anniversary of the state which was on August 27.

He had while inaugurating the new SSG and the CoS enjoined them to to work in the interest of the people. The new SSG (Kataps), a former Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, took over from Mr. Garvey Yawe while Jika, who once served in the same capacity in 2007, replaced Alhmed Yusuf.

Yawe and Yusuf were among the members of the sacked state Executive Council. The others are all the commissioners and 22 special advisers.

The Senior Special Assistant to the governor on Media, Sylvanus Giwa, had at a news conference in Jalingo, said that the appointments of Kataps and Jika were aimed at strengthening the machinery of government.

The governor also met on Wednesday evening with members of the House of Assembly led by their Speaker, Haruna Tsokwa.

The lawmakers had resolved at their sitting earlier on Wednesday to meet with the governor to confirm his true state of health before taking any position on his letter stating his intention to resume office.

Journalists, who were asked to wait at the assembly complex for the lawmakers to meet with the governor, were stunned when they returned, held a brief closed-door session, and said they would speak to the press on Thursday