Taraba State has been faring very well despite the dissolution of the state executive council, contrary to widespread speculations, Chief of Staff to the Taraba State Governor, Mr. Aminu Jika has said.
According to Jika, returnee governor, Danbaba Suntai has up to three months until he is mandated by “the law” to constitute another executive council.
Speaking on Monday, he recalled that the governor of Gombe State ran the initial months of his administration without an executive council. He argued that in the unavoidable absence of an executive council, permanent secretaries, secretary to the state government, chief of staff, head of service, heads of inter-ministerial departments and the deputy governor can assist a governor in running the government without hassles.
“The provisions of Section 190 (2) of the constitution are very clear to us and that is why the governor has gone to court,” he said. “People are bringing ignorance and self-interest, marauding and hiding behind good governance and things like that.”
Jika also said a medical team ought to have been constituted to examine the health status of Governor Suntai since his travails began 11 months ago, saying the matter of his health status should ordinarily not have waited till now if intentions were genuinely in public interest.
He assured that the governor’s case in court is well-intentioned, as the real fight is against those who want to hide behind the health issue and the constitution to perpetrate illegalities and unconstitutionalities in the state.
Taraba State has been engulfed in a crisis of governance since Suntai’s return, ostensibly to counter his deputy who is believed to be consolidating his hold on power.
Suntai then dissolved the executive and appointed a new Chief of Staff and Secretary to the State Government (SSG), a move the deputy governor rejected, claiming that a cabal — and not the governor — was behind it.
While Speaker of the Taraba State House of Assembly, Haruna Tsokwa and 15 other lawmakers backed the deputy governor to continue in power until the governor is sufficiently fit to assume the business of governance, Majority Leader, Joseph Albasu and seven other legislators gave Suntai the nod to resume work following his letter to the House on the matter.