Gov Suntai Discharged From US Hospital

Taraba State governor Danbaba Suntai has been discharged from the Johns Hopkins Hospital in Maryland State, three months after he was brought to the hospital’s Intensive Care Unit (ICU) as a result of the injuries he sustained during the October 2012 plane crash that involved him and some of his aides in Adamawa State.

Our correspondent, who got the information at the weekend that the governor had  be discharged from the hospital, went immediately to the Suntai’s residence in New York, reports that Governor Suntai was truly discharged.

According to one of his personal doctors, who gave his name as Dr. Andrew Smith, Suntai will be advised to return back to Nigeria the moment it is confirmed that he can undergo a long distance flight.

It was learnt that apart from his wife, Hajia Hauwa Suntai and their children that were in the house, a top delegation of the state was also there to felicitate with the governor who had spent well over eight months both in German and United States hospitals.

Members of the delegation were a member representing Taraba state at the House of Representatives, Hon Haruna Manu, member of the state House of Assembly, Hon Mark Useni, former Deputy Speaker of the state House of Assembly, Hon Abel Peter Diah and Hon Rebo Usman.

The governor, whom our correspondent was introduced to shortly after his arrival at the residence, confirmed that he was medically okay and asked the people around him if he looked like someone who suffered from memory loss.

When pressed to speak further on his health issues, one of the Suntai’s physicians, Dr. Andrew Smith, declined, saying that it would not be wise for the governor to start talking about the incident since he had just been discharged from hospital.

He said the governor should be allowed time to rest before being asked to narrate his ordeal.

Smith hinted that plans to make him return back to Nigeria were ongoing, but promised that the governor would speak intensively with our correspondent sometimes week before a date is finally fixed for his return back to Nigeria.

Asked if the governor was fit to walk around as part of the things required of him to function as a state governor, the doctor said “yes” and asked if the delegation from Taraba State could stand up with the governor for a photograph, an idea that was adopted to show his fitness.

The doctor also dismissed the rumour that Governor Suntai was having memory loss, saying that his client was very conscious and could see, stand, eat and recognise all the people around him by their names.