Finally! Gov Ishaku Returns Amid Cheers

• Explains long absence from duty
• Blames domestic accident

BY AMEH IDUJAGI, JALINGO – Absentee Governor Darius Ishaku of Taraba state on Thursday received a heroic Welcome to the state after being away from office for eighty seven days consecutively.

Addressing the crowd that thronged the Danbaba Suntai Airport, Jalingo to welcome him home, Governor Ishaku cleared the air on the circumstances surrounding his long absence from the state that has stirred a lot of controversies across political divide.

In the process, some stakeholders insisted on due process where he must transmit powers to his deputy Alhaji Haruna Manu, even as others demanded his outright impeachment.

The governor explained that he was involved in a domestic accident due to power outage in the Governor’s Lodge in Abuja and slipped off the staircase, forcing him to travel out of the country for medical treatment and the subsequent stay in Abuja for recuperation.

“My Doctors had certified me fit hence I have to come back to the state to resume work “. he said.

He however stated that his absence from the state did not negatively affect or stall governance and development as all projects in the state continued as planned and no vacuum was created to warrant the uproar.

Governor Ishaku commended the people for standing by him during the trying period, noting that their prayers facilitated his quick recovery from the accident.

This is even as he promised to continuously deploy all available resources at his disposal to bring development to Taraba State despite the global tough times occasioned by the coronavirus outbreak.

Meanwhile, some prominent Taraba politicians and stakeholders, who spoke to Forefront at the Jalingo Airport, faulted Ishaku for abandoning the state for nearly three months, thereby stagnating government activities at all levels

An elder statesman from Wukari Local Government, Mr. Fred Williams, said there are medical personnel in Taraba that could have attended to the Governor instead of abandoning the state to seek medical attention in Abuja.

“I think the Governor has taken the people of the state for granted for refusing to transmit the power to his Deputy when he knew he was staying away longer than necessary.”

Another respondent, who is an APC stalwart from Karim Lamido local government, faulted the State House of Assembly for not impeaching Ishaku during his long absence from the state.

“It is unfortunate that the State Assembly has become a rubber stamp and could not invoke relevant sections of the constitution to remove Ishaku for refusing to transmit power to his Deputy through the State Assembly”.

Forefront reports that both economic and social activities in Taraba state were in comatose with government activities were paralyzed following the Governor’s absence from the state for nearly three months ago.