Taraba Governor Danbaba Suntai brain-damaged, couldn't recognise visitors

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• published: 01 Dec 2012
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Emerging revelation shows that Governor Danbaba Suntai of Taraba State, who was involved in a plane crash on October 25 in Yola, Adamawa State capital suffered extensive brain damage. According to sources, the bed-ridden governor had suffered serious brain damage, a situation that made him not to recognise members of the presidential delegation that visited him at the hospital in Hanover, Germany. A dependable source described the trip to see the Governor Suntai as 'highly secretive.' It was gathered that members of the delegation who went to Vatican City in Rome to witness the consecration of Archbishop John Onaiyekan as a Cardinal of the Catholic Church made a quick call to Germany to see the injured embattled Suntai who they found in shocking condition. The trip, which was led by Senate President, David Mark, we learnt was organized by Gladys Modupeola Quist-Adebiyi, a staff of the Protocol Department at the Presidency. Other members of the delegation include Governor Ibrahim Yakowa of Kaduna State, President Goodluck Jonathan's chief of staff, Mike Oghiadomhe, also on the delegation was John Kennedy Opara, the secretary of the Nigerian Christian Pilgrim Commission (NCPC) as well as the Chaplain of the Presidential Villa Chapel, Venerable Obioma Onwuzurumba. The source hinted that the delegates were shocked to see Suntai in such a horrible condition contrary to the claims by some officials of the Taraba State government that the Governor was responding to treatment. He said: "His condition was so bad that they could not publicly disclose his condition after they returned to Nigeria," said the source. A state official said: "It is possible that he suffered brain damage because there was some delay before he could be taken abroad," An Abuja-based Taraba-born political activist faulted President Jonathan for delaying to swear in the deputy Governor, Alhaji Garba Umar as the substantive Governor. "We all know how President Umaru Yar'Adua's people continued to deceive Nigerians that the man was recovering well and how they even brought him back in a comatose state and declared that he was in control of Nigeria," said the activist. He added: "I hope President Jonathan and the PDP are not planning a similar scenario whereby they will declare that Governor Suntai is in control -- until they find a malleable successor who suits them." The activist added that the Presidency should state the truth about the present status of the Governor's health rather than keeping mum. "The fact that the people of Taraba have not heard from or seen the governor since the air crash on October 25 2012 means that the man is no longer fit to govern them. Suntai and four state officials have been hospitalised after surviving a plane crash on Thursday, October 25. The plane, which was piloted by the Governor, crashed at the Yola airport in Adamawa state. Initial reports from eyewitnesses indicated that the Governor died in the crash, but it was later discovered that he survived the crash, although with severe injuries. He was transferred to the National Hospital in Abuja before being airlifted to Germany.