SINCE the ill-fated plane crash of October 24 last year that led to the evacuation of Taraba state Governor Danbaba Suntai to Germany for medical attention, following the severe injuries he sustained in the crash, the people of the state have remained in the dark as to his true condition of health.

While rumours making the round in the state, and to a large extent some parts of the country, have it that the governor has suffered a severe brain damage and might be incapacitated from functioning effective for the remaining part of his tenure, others especially, those in government, continue to raise their hope.

This is even as The Guardian learnt at that time that no government officials or top politicians from the state had been allowed access to the hospital where he is currently receiving treatment.

In spite of obstacles put in place to discourage people from visiting the ailing governor, reports flying round the state have it that he would soon be back to resume his duties.

A few days before Christmas, T-shirts and wrappers with different inscriptions and the governor’s photos were allegedly ordered by the state government to make the people believe that he would be home for the Yuletide.

It would be recall that the state Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Victor Bala Kona, during the party’s stakeholders meeting last year, disclosed that the governor had been discharged from the intensive care unit of the hospital and had been relocated to a ward, where he was recuperating.

The chairman added: “Though I am not a doctor, but from the look of things, the governor would soon be discharged.”

Weeks later, the people of the state are yet to see any sign that their governor would soon return, as the were made to believe by government and party officials.

Many residents and indigenes viewed the development as a ploy to make it impossible for the acting governor to take full control of affairs in the state.

Speaking to The Guardian on the development, the leadership of the Save Taraba Group (STG), who had earlier stressed that Tarabans have the right to know the true state of health of their governor, vowed to protest on the streets of Jalingo, the state capital, should the governor fail to return to the state three months after his absence.

The state coordinator of the group, Razaq Umar, who could not fathom why the true condition of the governor should continue to be kept secret from the people, said the group would not hesitate to act at the expiration of 90 days stipulated in the 1999 Constitution, as amended.

He said: “After 90 days, if nothing is heard about the governor, then automatically his personal physician would have to write to the executive council informing them of the state of the governor’s health and relevant action would be put in place.”

Saddened by the politics surrounding his health, Umar added: “We have been hearing conflicting stories about the ailing governor. We have been seeing different pictures in the social media about our governor.

“The cabals are working hard to see that the constitution of the country is not observed or obeyed in the case of Governor Danbaba Suntai.”

He vowed that his group would not allow some few individuals to hold the state ransom, because government is a continuity.

“With the reports we have received from people in Germany, who had the opportunity to see him, we know that all is not well and he will not return soon, as being speculated,” Umar said.

Citing the recent photograph of the governor published in some national dailies, Umar noted that it was saddening the ways and manners some people are feeding Tarabans with false information, insisting that the photograph was not recent.

“On January 25, if nothing is heard from the House of Assembly concerning making the acting governor the substantive governor, as required by the Constitution, we will we compel them to obey the constitution of the country.

“We would follow all legal means to make sure that the constitution of the country is obeyed.”

Also commenting on the photograph making rounds, the state Chairman of the Conference for Nigeria Political Parties (CNPP), Hamidu Suleiman, said the world is digital and anything could happen.

He accused the alleged cabal, most of whom are members of the House of Assembly, of going extra miles to compel the acting governor to make relevant funds available to them.

But in a swift reaction, Chairman of the House Committee on Information, Daniel Ishaya Gani, denied such allegation, saying: “We are not in any way interfering with the activities of the acting governor and we shall never do so, because as lawmakers, we have to lead by example.

“Even though the constitution did not specified when the members should replace the governor, following his long period of absence, but the need for the members of the Assembly to tread the right path.”

Commissioner for Information, Culture and Tourism, Emmanuel Bello, insisted that the said photograph of the governor was real and recent.

He told The Guardian that the governor had even been discharged from the hospital and would be returning soon.

Bello argued that the said photograph was very recent and that a Yuletide party was “even organised in Germany for the governor” by some prominent Tarabans, with the “governor was in attendance.”

He stressed that plans to receive the governor on his return to the state were already in place, stressing the need for Tarabans to desist from listening to those who believed the governor could no longer make it to the seat of power.

Though the acting governor is carrying on as if he is actually in charge of the day-to-day running of the affairs of the state, it was, however, learnt that since his confirmation as acting governor, no contract has been awarded.

His resolve not to alter the policies of his boss seems to be yielding positive results for the party, as those in positions of authority recently seen associating with perceived enemies of the governor were immediately sacked.

One top government officials, who pleaded anonymity, said: “How would the acting governor function or act effectively when the party and the members of the state Assembly are always on his neck misdirecting him?”

The official condemned the action of some his colleagues, whom he alleged are exploiting the present situation in the state to loot the state treasury at will.

“We all know those behind those photographs in some of the national dailies. They can only use it to fool the illiterate ones, because we all know that that photographs was not recent.

“Even though they succeeded in placing one of his children in his hand, as if he was carrying the child, we still know all their tricks.”

Citing the recent visit of the various federal government delegations to Germany, including Senate President David Mark and PDP national chairman, he observed that since their arrival from Germany, nothing was heard from them, indicating that all was not well with the governor.

Their silence alone, he added, was enough for Nigerians to know that all is not well with the governor.

“So why should some few people continue to deceive the people over something that is crystal clear?” he asked rhetorically.