For a 52 year old man who survived a plane crash, was hospitalized for 10 months, arrived in Nigeria following a 17 hour flight, Danbaba Suntai of Taraba state is fit to assume his duties as governor, according to the former Commissioner for Information, Emmanuel Bello.
“How fit do you want him to be? As strong as Mike Tyson? As fast as Usain Bolt? Mr Bello asked, adding that no amount of evidence will please those desperate to be in power.
He said this during an interview on Sunrise, adding that the governor had been deemed unfit to continue as the leader by certain individuals as a result of their desperation for power and not out of concern for his health.
For those comparing Suntai to late President Musa Yar’adua, Bello explains that an accident is different from a terminal sickness. “Danbaba gets stronger by the day,” he said.
The former commissioner who was sacked upon the governors arrival, after months of assuring the people of his return, said he felt vindicated by the turn out of citizens of the state, who were dancing on the streets in celebration for Suntai’s return.
He said the crowd which welcomed the governor and the people of Taraba who were out on the streets, dancing, gave him the vindication he wanted since he had been the one assuring the citizens of the governor’s return.
He denied allegations that the crowd was paid to welcome the state’s leader, adding that, you couldn’t have paid that kind of crowd to come out.
“No one stayed in their house that Sunday. Everybody was out in the sun and they were dancing on the street”. He said.
He said he felt vindicated and happy until the governor fired him alongside the entire cabinet.
Attributing the crisis in the state to a tussle for power by certain individuals, Mr Bello stated that “the inside problem is the issue of power. The fact that there are desperate people” ready to work against the evidence they are given.
However, contrary to Mr Bello’s solid stance in favour of the governor, the Deputy Editor (Politics) of Daily Independent newspaper, Mr Habib Haruna disclosed that a report by a Nigerian journalist on vacation in America stated that the governor is “not too well”.
He added that the video of Suntai addressing the state does not convince him, as well as many others, that the governor is of sound health.
Power Industry
Reacting to the brouhaha, a public affairs analyst, Dare Ogunlana said “in the last 16 years, power industry has been one of the most lucrative industries” and “people will do everything possible to protect survival”.
He stated that “politicians are serial liars” and are ready to throw “their integrity, their morality into the dustbin for the sake of survival”.
