Suntai’s Brother Accused of Impersonating Gov’s Voice

• Taraba govt: He is coming home soon 

The controversy trailing the state of health of the governor of Taraba State, Alhaji Danbaba Suntai, who was involved in a self piloted aircraft crash in October last year, appears not to be abating, as his younger brother has allegedly been accused of impersonating the governor’s voice.

The allegation is coming on the heels of a statement issued Sunday, by the state Commissioner for Information, Mr. Emmanuel Bello, that the governor was responding to treatment and would soon be back to the state to continue his work as governor.

THISDAY reliably gathered that the younger brother of the governor (names withheld), who is staying in the United States Hospital with the ailing governor was the person making calls to people pretending to be the governor.

According to a source from the state Government House, “The younger brother to the governor, has the same voice with the governor. He is the one making the calls, pretending to be the governor. We met him with the governor when we accompanied the acting governor to see the governor recently in United States.

“Even before Governor Danbaba was involved in the airplane crash, there were several cases of impersonation against him.  And now, he is impersonating the voice of the governor to deceive people pretending that it was the governor speaking, whereas, the governor cannot recognize anyone since he was transferred to the United States hospital.

“This is like the case of the late President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua, when his voice was manipulated and they claimed that he signed the supplementary budget. If they claim that the governor is responding to treatment, let them show Nigerians and indeed Tarabans, the video clips of his stay in the hospital. When people claimed that the First Lady, Dame Patience Jonathan was sick and the President, Goodluck Jonathan visited his wife, a video clip was shown to Nigerians.

“We are not wishing Suntai to die, but let the acting governor, Umar show Nigerians, the video clip of his encounter with the governor,” the source said, stating also that the truth would be made manifest when the Senator Hope Uzodimma’s committee set up by the National Working Committee (NWC) of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) will commence work and submit its report.”

Meanwhile, Bello in the statement said the ailing governor would soon be back to continue his work.

The statement read in part: “Our attention was drawn to a story making the rounds in section of the media. The story alleges that an anonymous source told that Suntai did not recognise his deputy, the current acting governor of Taraba State, Alhaji Garba Umar, who visited Suntail in the hospital. It also said Suntai would be smuggled in by his loyalists. The story lacks merit on all fronts.

“First was the source in the acting governor’s entourage to make that observation. If so why is the source anonymous? Second why did not the writers of the story make an attempt to confirm their sources assertion directly from the acting governor.

“The truth is that Suntai recognised the acting governor and even called him by name. There are reputable eye witnesses in the hospital to testify to this. The reporters should have found out from the source if he or she was present during the said encounter. What is more, Suntai can recognise everyone and everything around him as attested to by even his doctors in a recent report."