Taraba State House of Assembly said the ailing Taraba State deputy governor, Alhaji Aminu Alkari, is undergoing treatment and also recovering in an Abuja hospital, stating that he is to resume duty as soon as he is properly healed from his prolonged illness.
The chairman, Taraba State House of Assembly Committee on Information and member representing Ngoroje, Hon. Nelson Len, disclosed this in Jalingo, Taraba State capital, while responding to widespread speculations that the assembly was set to declare the ailing deputy governor Alkari incapacitated.
Len, while addressing journalists, said the deputy governor has been recovering from his illness and needs to be given time to bounce back to his capability to cope with his personal and official duties.
He said none of the three arms of government, starting from the executive to the legislature and the judiciary, has ever thought of replacing the deputy governor; rather, more efforts have been put in place to ensure he recovers and resumes duty.
“We, as the members of Taraba State House of Assembly, have not discussed anything related to declaring the deputy governor incapacitated. We have not received any communication from the governor in that regard, and we have not received any medical report regarding the deputy governor’s health from the executive arm.
“We call on the general public to disregard the speculations that the assembly is preparing to declare the deputy governor of Taraba state, Alhaji Aminu Alkari, incapacitated,” Len stated.
Meanwhile, the kinsmen of the deputy governor condemned the purported nomination of Hon. Hamman Adama Abdulahi, the incumbent deputy speaker of Taraba State House of Assembly from Bali 1 constituency to replace the ailing deputy governor, insisting that “if there should be a replacement, the person should come from Mumuye tribe.”
The Mumuye Cultural Development Association (MCDA), in a press statement signed by its chairman Alex Malaze, thanked Taraba State Governor Agbu Kefas for publicly refuting the rumours. However, the MCDA said every rumour has an element of truth.
“As leaders of the Mumuye Cultural Development Association, we strongly and emphatically draw the attention of the Taraba State Government that in the event the seat of the ailing deputy governor is declared vacant and the need arises to replace him with another person, the established tradition of replacing deputy governors or any vacant political seats in Taraba state should be upheld.
“We wish to unequivocally state that the current administration under Dr. Agbu Kefas was ushered in with the overwhelming support of the Mumuye people from Zing, Yorro, Lau, Jalingo, Ardo-kola, Gassol, Bali, and Gashaka LGAs, and as such, the Mumuye people should be accorded their rightful place in the governance of the state.
Similarly, during the era of His Excellency, Late Pharmacist Danbaba Danfulani Suntai of blessed memories, when Sen. Sani Danladi was removed as deputy governor, he was replaced with his kinsman, Hon. Garba Umar (UTC) from the same tribe and local government area,” the statement read.
