Umar's govt. is illegal --- Ex-Commisioner

A Former Commissioner for Information in Taraba State, Mr. Emmanuel Bello, has accused the Deputy Governor, Alhaji Garba Umar, of running a parallel government in the state.

Bello, who is among the commissioners sacked by Governor Danbaba Suntai upon his return from a 10-month absence, also questioned Umar’s loyalty to the governor.

The former commissioner in a statement on Wednesday, stated,  “There is no denying the fact that Alhaji Garba Umar is operating an illegal and unconstitutional parallel government in Taraba State.

“Or how else do we describe a situation where Governor Danbaba Danfulani Suntai is back to office but his deputy still goes round calling himself the acting governor?

“Our constitution does not recognise such a strange contraption no matter the circumstances. The governor is in town and his deputy continues to carry out the functions of a governor. It is sacrilegeous!

“For the records, Suntai returned to the country after 10 months of medical treatment abroad. He transmitted a letter to the House of Assembly as the constitution stipulates. But the leadership of the state House of Assembly, acting under the instructions of Umar, criminally rejected the letter, alleging it was forged. Now, the constitution did not give them such rights. The transmitted letter was not for any debate or admittance by the house.”

He accused the National Chairman of the People’s Democratic Party, Alhaji Bamanga Tukur, of foisting an illegality on the state by insisting that Umar should continue as an acting governor when the governor was still alive.

Bello said, “Also, as soon as the governor returned, Tukur said ‘they would reject any government by proxy.’ Since then, Umar has continue to run the government. He has scandalously refused to revert to his proper place as deputy.

“Even when Suntai dissolved the cabinet, Umar said the dissolution should be disregarded. Currently, he has an SSG and a Chief of Staff, appointed solely by him. Suntai on his return appointed and sworn in a new Secretary to the State Government but Umar continue to work with his own SSG. Where is the “100 percent’’  loyalty in all of his action? Under which part of our constitution is he operating?”