The Civil Society Network Against Corruption (CSNAC) , has called on
returnee Taraba State governor, Danbaba Suntai, to immediately speak to
the world and declare the true state of his health.
The group made the call today in a press conference addressed by its chairman, Olarewaju Suraju, and Secretary, Ugochi Okpe.
They also challenged the Taraba State House of Assembly to rise up to
the political challenge of the moment by commencing the process of
ascertaining the health status of Mr. Suntai to determine his capacity
to continue in office as a Governor or otherwise.
Mr. Suntai, who suffered grievous brain injury when a light aircraft
he was piloting crashed in Yola, Adamawa State last October, returned to
the country yesterday after extensive treatment in Germany and the
United States. Despite statements by his doctors that it is most
unlikely he will be able to function normally, his wife and the Peoples
Democratic Party (PDP) insisted that he has returned to good health.
They flew him into Nigeria yesterday but the governor, appearing
bewildered and uncoordinated, did not say one word publicly.
Earlier today, sources said he had forwarded a letter to the State Assembly stating his readiness to resume his office.
CSNAC urged the governor to speak up for himself rather than depend
on party and family propagandists to continue misinforming and
misleading the populace.
“Political aides and political jobbers in Taraba state should refrain
of employing governor by proxy to precipitate crisis in the State,” the
group said, calling on the national leadership of the PDP to save
Nigeria another international embarrassment by ensuring the rule of law
is strictly preached and adhered to in resolving the situation in
Taraba.
CSNAC recalled several occasions in Nigeria’s recent history in which
the health of a public official or figure has been exploited in
deceiving the public and breaching the constitution, citing the cases of
late President Umaru Yar’Adua, Sullivan Chime of Enugu State, and Mrs.
Patience Jonathan.
“Perhaps the most prominent recent case was that of First Lady
Patience Jonathan, whose disappearance aroused public curiosity to a
fever pitch,” the network reminded the public. “Mrs. Jonathan's aides
denied outright that the first lady had any health condition, stating
that she was only taking a well-deserved rest far away in Germany after a
busy schedule.
It further recalled that President Jonathan’s office eventually
stepped-in to admit Mrs. Jonathan’s poor health and that she was
convalescing in a hospital in Germany, at one point releasing a grainy
photo of the first lady and the president to assure the public that she
was alive and well.
“Mrs. Jonathan of course returned to Nigeria to hold a thanksgiving
ceremony in which she acknowledged, though after an outright denial of
any sickness on her arrival into the country, that she was seriously ill
to the point of death, expressing gratitude to God that she made it
back alive after being under the surgeon’s scalpel several times,” the
group said.
“Contrary to the scripted deceit of the public by the national
leadership of Peoples Democratic Party, the wife of Gov. Danbaba and his
political aides, Saharareporters, an online news medium revealed
details of the ailing Governor's health and condition right from when he
was undergoing treatment in Germany till finally flown to the United
States of America. A critical review of the report clearly tells the
incapacity of Mr. Suntai to function in office as a governor. This
clearly tells history is about repeating itself in Nigeria as farce.”
CSNAC also drew attention to the victims of the ill-fated flight,
noting that since the tragedy, very little has been heard of the
governor’s aides who were on the flight with him, as only the governor
has been reportedly moved from hospitals in Nigeria to Germany and later
to the United States.
“The media have not assisted with investigations on the less
fortunate victims,” the group said, stressing that Nigerians deserve to
know.
“If getting information about these victims of Suntai has been
deliberately shielded, Suntai himself owes the nation a lot of
explanation before uninformed citizens begin to attribute the blood of
these innocent people to him. And the reality is that even if Suntai can
use the might of his influence to suppress the news about this, he can
hardly avert rumor from circulating.”
The Network called on Nigerians to rise in unison to condemn any
attempt by the ruling class at taking the country through the familiar
perilous path of governance by proxy, noting that the PDP leadership
under President Goodluck Jonathan has failed to stem the tide of
corruption since assumption office.
CSNAC is a coalition of over 150 anti-corruption organizations whose
primary aim is to constructively and vigorously combat corruption and to
ensure the effective monitoring of the various anti-graft agencies and
to enthrone transparency, accountability, probity, and total commitment
in the fight to eradicate corruption in Nigeria.
Just last week, the group Filed a Freedom of Information request
demanding information of the Government of Taraba State about the state
of health of health of Governor Suntai, and evidence that the governor,
who was said to be on his way back to Nigeria to resume his office, had
fully recovered.
Full text of the statement:
VITAL QUESTIONS AS AILING GOVERNOR DANBABA SUNTAI RETURNS
BEING THE TEXT OF A PRESS PARLEY BY CIVIL SOCIETY NETWORK
AGAINST CORRUPTION ON MONDAY 26TH, AUGUST, 2013, ON THE MELODRAMA
SURROUNDING THE RETURN OF GOVERNOR SUNTAI DANBABA TO THE NIGERIA
Gentlemen of the press, distinguished Ladies and Gentlemen.
INTRODUCTION
According to news reports Governor of Taraba State, Danbaba
Suntai,returned to Nigeria yesterday. Ordinarily, this should be a
charming development for the entire nation. Mrs. Suntai reportedly
expressed the family's appreciation to all who had in many ways
supported the family throughout their trying moment.
Some Nigerians living in New York also, reportedly, volunteered to
accompany the governor home. The electorate who voted Gov. Suntai into
the position obviously would be particularly more excited as the
campaign promises that may have suffered non-implementation since his
absence may now be revived. The rest citizens may also share from this
excitement as the nation is spared another tragedy after the Governor
had been away for no fewer than ten months, first in Germany and much
later in the United States from where he reportedly returned from. As
citizens of this country, we equally welcome this development and indeed
wish Governor Suntai well as much as his family does.
SOME BACKGROUND
We deem it necessary to quickly remind Nigerians of the circumstances
of Governor Suntai as the number one citizen of his state, Taraba, even
as some may readily dismiss this as unnecessary because history hurts
liars.
So suddenly, the matter of Governor Suntai has become the concern of
the bickering and confused leadership of Suntai’s party men in Abuja not
of his people in Taraba. On August 3, members of the PDP Fact-finding
Committee on the Taraba political situation, led by its chairman,
Senator Hope Uzodinma, paid solidarity visit to the governor at SeaView
Hospital Rehabilitation Centre and Home in New York
Mr. Uzodinma was accompanied by the Special Adviser to the PDP
National Chairman on INEC and Inter-party Affairs, Shittu Mohammed, the
Special Adviser to the President on Political Matters, Ahmed Gulak,
Abubakar Gada and the Consul-General of Nigeria in New York, Habib Habu.
This is not the first of media exhibitions to convince Nigerians that
all is well with the ailing governor.
During a similar visit in the past, an obviously hastily arranged
photograph of the governor, his wife and their newly born babies was
touted across the media. Since then, the office of the governor has
mustered persistent efforts to assure the people that the governor’s
health has remarkably improved.
However, reports by a section of the media says Governor Suntai,
following his transfer from the German hospital was moved to an
undisclosed hospital in the United States and much later to the
prestigious John Hopkins Hospital, located in Baltimore, in the US state
of Maryland.
This is contrary to the repeated claims by the governor’s office
indulging in the familiar pattern of propaganda and outright falsehood
characteristic of Nigerian public officials about the true health
conditions of their principals in such situations.
It is important to note that the nation had traveled this road
before. Until the defunct Next newspaper dared whatever consequence may
befall it, no news medium could tell the world about the true situation
with late President Yar’Adua. That paper reported against all political
propaganda that the President was “brain dead”. And even at that, it
took weeks before the political gangsters and opportunists could tell
the truth.
Last February, Governor Sullivan Chime of Enugu State returned to
Nigeria after months away from the country battling a health condition
that was never officially revealed to the public. In his case, he was
actually away from the country for weeks before questions arose over his
whereabouts, prompting his office to issue repeated unconvincing
assurances. The governor, upon his return, arrogantly announced that he
did not owe anyone an explanation on his health situation.
Perhaps the most prominent recent case was that of First Lady
Patience Jonathan, whose disappearance aroused public curiosity to a
fever pitch. Mrs. Jonathan's aides denied outright that the first lady
had any health condition, stating that she was only taking a
well-deserved rest far away in Germany after a busy schedule.
President Jonathan’s office eventually stepped-in to say that Mrs.
Jonathan was indeed convalescing in a hospital in Germany. The
president’s office also released a grainy photo of the first lady and
the president to assure the public that she was alive and well.
Mrs. Jonathan of course returned to Nigeria to hold a thanksgiving
ceremony in which she acknowledged, though after an outright denial of
any sickness on her arrival into the country, that she was seriously ill
to the point of death, expressing gratitude to God that she made it
back alive after being under the surgeon’s scalpel several times.
Contrary to the scripted deceit of the public by national leadership
of Peoples Democratic Party, the wife of Gov. Danbaba and his political
aides, Saharareporters, an online news medium revealed details of the
ailing Governor's health and condition right from when he was undergoing
treatment in Germany till finally flown to the United States of
America. A critical review of the report clearly tells the incapacity of
Mr. Suntai to function in office as a governor. This clearly tells
history is about repeating itself in Nigeria as farce.
ISSUES ARISING.
Leadership
As the chief executive of his state, Governor Suntai, swore to defend
the Constitution on assumption of office but the extent of his
faithfulness to this today after a long period of self-inflicted fate
leaves a lot to be desired. Not only has he denied the state the
leadership he promised, the character of the leadership he was even able
to offer will hardly qualify as a model for anyone. Governor Suntai
acquired three aircrafts following his assumption of office as the
governor in a state without an airport. The implication of this is
clear: He is an absentee governor and got his absenteeism prolonged even
if unwillingly by the sickness. He fulfilled the Shakespearean prophesy
to the effect that “things bad begun make strong themselves by ill”.
We wish to deplore strongly, attempts at personalizing political
offices by Nigeria's ruling elites. Failure or inability to function in
offices, either by cause of nature or self affliction should not be at
such huge cost to the electorate as experienced in this country.
Governor Suntai and the PDP should save this country a repeat of the
ignominious experience of the Yar'adua saga and odious breakdown of law
and order perpetuated in Rivers State.
Transparency and Accountability
Governor Suntai’s friends and spin doctors have been relentless in rationalizing the urgent return of the ailing Governor. Taraba state
electorates and Nigerians in general are not informed of the cost of
this shenanigan. How much does it cost the state to Charter and
ambulance private jet and the allied expenses such as this? There is no
doubting the fact that the Suntai propagandists would not deem it an
obligation to offer any explanation to the world and offer apologies
until there are speculations in these directions. Unfortunately, the
posturing of the anti-corruption agencies and Code of Conduct Bureau so
far on this matter is such that they do not have enough reason to begin
to act.
Suntai’s Flight Victims
Since the tragedy of the flight, very little has been heard of the
governor’s aides who shared the unfortunate fate with him. Only the
governor has been reportedly moved from hospitals in Nigeria to Germany
and later to the United States. The media have not assisted with
investigations on the less fortunate victims. Nigerians deserve to know.
If getting information about these victims of Suntai has been
deliberately shielded, Suntai himself owes the nation a lot of
explanation before uninformed citizens begin to attribute the blood of
these innocent people to him. And the reality is that even if Suntai can
use the might of his influence to suppress the news about this, he can
hardly avert rumor from circulating.
PRAYERS
Governor Suntai should immediately speak to the world and declare the
true state of his health rather than continuing to depend on party and
family propagandists to continue misinforming and misleading the
populace;
The Taraba State House of Assembly should rise up to the political
challenge by commencing the process of ascertaining the health status of
Mr. Suntai to determine his capacity to continue in office as a
Governor or otherwise.
Political aides and political jobbers in Taraba state should refrain
of employing governor by proxy to precipitate crisis in the State;
The National leadership of PDP must safe the country another
international embarrassment by ensuring the rule of law is strictly
preached and adhered to in resolving the Taraba issues; and
Nigerians should rise in unison to condemn any attempt by the ruling
class at taking us through the familiar perilous path of governance by
proxy.
The PDP leadership under President Goodluck Jonathan has failed to
stem the tide of corruption since assumption office. Petty thieves are
summarily convicted and penalized while politically exposed persons
caught continue to enjoy proceeds of their criminal acts and remain in
office under the guise of trial. These were the cases of the police man
caught on tape soliciting bribe and the case of Honorable Farouk Lawan,
a serving member of the Federal House of Representatives.
Aluta continua! Victoria Ascerta!
Olanrewaju Suraju. Ugochi Okpe
Chairman Secretary
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