The Taraba State House of Assembly Wednesday
held a valedictory session in honour of deceased
former Governor Danbaba Danfulani Suntai who is
to be buried in his hometown of Suntai, Bali local
government area on Saturday.
Suntai died on June 28 -two days to his 56th
birthday in Orlando, Florida, United States, where
he was recuperating,five years after surviving an
air crash in which he was the pilot.
All the lawmakers at the sitting gave glowing
tribute to late Suntai, describing him as “a rare
gem, hero and true leader, who was gentle,
generous, honest, not corrupt and frank.”
But former Speaker Haruna Gbana who was the
guest of honour at the valedictory session threw a
bomb shell when he was given a chance to give
his own comments on the late governor.
He said Taraba people had been very unkind to
Danbaba Suntai, despite his selfless service to
them.
Gbana, a senior special assistant to Governor
Darius Ishaku, was Taraba Speaker during
Suntai’s first and second tenures. He was
removed as soon as Suntai crashed, in a
politically motivated move to impeach the
deceased governor on health grounds.
Gbana said: “I am touched because Taraba
people have not been kind to the late governor.
“If Suntai resurfaces here, many will confess being
unkind to him. I saw hypocrisy when Suntai
crashed.
“When you give your life to put in place a good
legacy for the people, they should be there for you
even when you are not physically around.
“This House of Assembly was the first to betray
Suntai because of greed. In sickness, Suntai was
deserted by those he had been with.
The Taraba State Assembly was divided when
Suntai returned after medical from German and
US hospitals.
Majority of the lawmakers made infantile futile
efforts to impeach him.
Some groups also celebrated in the streets of
Jalingo on hearing the news that Suntai crashed
and died, later to hear he survived.
“When Suntai crashed, my prayer was for him to
return sound and physically strong to see the
damage that was done by the very persons he
entrusted power to.”
Gbana urged Taraba people in leadership
positions to replicate the good things the
deceased governor did, for the transformation of
the State and to change their attitude when
Suntai would be buried.
“If we don’t do so then we have not learned
anything. I believe we shall never be the same
when his gentle body is finally laid to rest on
Saturday,” Gbana said.
Speaker Peter Abel Diah said he was happy that
“those who had criticised Suntai during his tenure
are the same people praising him for his good
works today.”
“Arrogant they called him. Visionary I called him,”
he said, adding that he was addressing the
valedictory session with “a deep sense of
humility.”
“Danbaba Suntai was a rare gem who made
monumental impacts in Taraba State. He was
principled, focused, resourceful and led an all-
inclusive government,” Diah said, enumerating
Suntai’s projects and all the laws enacted by the
State Assembly during Suntai’s tenure.