Taraba Deputy Governor ill, Moved to Abuja
By Chuwang Dungs, Jalingo
Taraba State Deputy Governor Aminu Alkali, was rushed last week to an undisclosed hospital in Abuja, for immediate medical treatment.
DAYLIGHT REPORTERS reliably gathered from sources that the sickness was so bad that the Deputy Governor was unable to recognize people.
The news of his condition sparked rumours of his death, sending panic across the state, especially among his supporters and members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the state.
On Monday, a reliable source close to the Deputy Governor told DAYLIGHT REPORTERS that Alkali is in a very bad condition needing God’s intervention.
To douse tension generated by his health condition, the Information and Reorientation Officer at the Deputy Governor’s office, James Jibaniya, in a statement issued in Jalingo last weekend, dismissed the rumour as “unfounded, malicious, shocking and baseless propagated by mischief-makers.
He, however, agreed that the Deputy Governor was ill. “While it is true that his Excellency experienced a brief health challenge some weeks ago due to stress, it was promptly addressed. He is now sound and healthy and resting to recover fully before resuming his official duties,” Jabaniya said.
Sources from the Deputy Governor’s office said for the past few weeks Mr Alkali has not been attending public functions due to his health condition.
To heighten the suspicion over the deputy governor’s health, he was absent at the Taraba State stakeholders engagement held at the TY Danjuma House in Abuja, on Sunday 8 December and he was also absent in Wukari last Sunday during the wake keep service in honour of late Atsi Kefas, the younger sister to the governor, who died as a result of gunshots injury she sustained in an armed robbery attempt.
DAYLIGHT REPORTERS observed, that in the last few weeks either the Secretary to the Government of the State (SGS), Timothy Kataps or the Chief of Staff, Jeji Williams has been representing Governor Agbu Kefas during official functions.
“Yes, the deputy governor was in a very bad condition before he was moved from Jalingo to Abuja. We noticed it. Although they didn’t want to make it open, maybe for political reasons,” an insider in the deputy governor office who pleaded not to be mentioned, reliably told our reporter.
“If you noticed for some time now, he has not been attending public functions. You know the governor is always out of the state, he has been the one always representing him in state functions, as a journalist you should understand these things better than some of us,” he said.
Meanwhile, it was reliably gathered that different interest groups have begun to hold underground meetings within and outside the state to shop for a suitable replacement in case of any eventuality.
Alkali, a Mumuye man, hails from Zing Local Government Area in the northern zone of the state, where the position of the deputy governor was zoned.
However there are strong arguments that the position should be moved to another local government in the zone, since Kizito Bonzena, also a Mumuye man from Zing, is occupying the position of the Speaker of the State Assembly.
