The political crisis in Taraba State deepened on Wednesday morning with the dissolution of the state Executive Council by the Governor, Danbaba Suntai.

The latest development was made known by the special adviser to the governor on media and publicity, Sylvanus Giwa.

Apart from sacking the cabinet, the governor also removed the secretary to the state government,SSG, and appointed Timothy Gibon Kataps in his stead.

Similarly, Suntai replaced his former Chief of Staff, with Aminu Jika, who is handling the position for a second time.

Confirming the dissolution, Suntai’s chief press secretary, Hassan Mijinyawa, said that all commissioners had been directed to hand over to their permanent secretaries.

He said that the appointments of the SSG and chief of staff are with immediate effect.

Reacting to the move, the immediate past commissioner for information and culture, Emmanuel Bello, described the dissolution as a welcome development which would help re-shapen the Suntaiadministration “to continue to transform Taraba State until his tenure lapses in May 2015.”

In less than 72 hours since the return of Suntai on Sunday, the political temperature in the state has gone up, creating a division between those in support of the deputy governor, Garba Umar, who has been acting as governor for 10 months in the absence of his boss and those on the side of the recuperating governor.

While the Speaker of the House, Haruna Tsokwa has asked the governor to come and address the Assembly at plenary as a condition for resuming, the Majority Leader, Joseph AlbasuKunini, asked the governor to start work with immediate effect.

A group known as the Coalition of Taraba Youth Movement, has urged on the state’s House of Assembly to summon the governor, Danbaba Suntai, to address the people of the state in order to put an end to the speculations and confusion regarding his return.

President of the coalition, Abubakar Waziri, made the call at a news conference on Monday inJalingo.

Waziri noted that people of the state who had been praying for the ailing governor for the past 10 months deserved to know his true state of health.

“We want Governor Suntai to speak to the people of the state, either through the media or at the House of Assembly. The state is in a state of confusion now because the people do not know what to believe,” he said.

Suntai, flew back into the country on Sunday but has since not spoken publicly to anyone though his close associates continue to say that he is mentally alert and well enough to handle governance in Taraba state.

His family and personal aides insist that he must rest for at least 72 hours after his return, in accordance with his doctor’s advice.

However, to the surprise of many on Monday, Suntai reportedly wrote to the leadership of the State House of Assembly informing them of his readiness to resume work.

Many are doubtful that the letter actually originated from him, hence the youths in the state are calling on the governor to give a public address.

In the meantime, the acting Governor, Garba Umar has lauded the people of the state for the show of love and affection to the ailing governor when they turned out in large numbers on Sunday to welcome him.

President Goodluck Jonathan has terminated the appointment of the minister of youth development,Inuwa Abdulkadir.

The announcement of the minister’s sack is contained in a statement released to the Media by the secretary to the federal government, Anyim Pius Anyim in Abuja today.

No reason was given in the statement for the termination of Abdulkadir’s appointment.

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There are, however, speculations that his sack may be related with the political path taken by the Sokoto State Governor, Magatarkada Wamako who recommended his appointment into the federal cabinet.

It would be recalled that Governor Wamako is among the five governors who have been consulting and have also openly kicked against Jonathan’s second term options.

The Central Naval Command of the Nigerian Navy on Sunday handed over a Cameroonian and 11 Nigerians suspected to be oil thieves to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, inYenogoa, Bayelsa State for prosecution.

The suspects were apprehended for alleged involvement in the theft of 10,000 litres of locally refined diesel, off the waterway of Egweama community in Brass Local Government Area of the state.

The Cameroonian was identified by the Navy as the Captain of the seized vessel used by the suspects to convey the stolen product.

The vessel, registered as MV Sea Giant, had ship log, the Nigeria Port Authority bunkering permit and Certificate of Registration with the Joint Military Task Force.

Operations officer of the command, Emmanuel Enemor, presented the crew of the seized vessel to the representative of the EFCC, Ogbu Michael.

Enemor said that the suspects claimed that the petroleum products in the vessel was for running machinery on board, adding that the laboratory test on the sample showed that the product was illegally refined Automotive Gasoline Oil, AGO.

According to Enemor, the Nigerian Navy patrol team arrested the vessel off the Brass River entrance on May 16 at Egweama Community in Brass Local Government area of Bayelsa state,

“The MV Sea Giant operates under the business name and license of MOEN Marine Limited located in Victoria Island in Lagos. During interrogation, the captain confessed that the vessel came from Lagos to load AGO from a Barge at Agbara offshore,” he said.

The Borno State government has announced a plan to pay parents to send their wards to school in order to encourage mass literacy.

Governor of the State, Kashim Shettima, said at an interactive session with elders and residents ofBama- GRA communities over the weekend to chart ways to bring succour to the devastated areas.

Shettima noted that it had become imperative to encourage children within the school age-grade to be educated, especially in the Northern part of the state which has witnessed great decline inenrolment of students.

The unprovoked attacks launched against schools in the state by members of the Boko Haram sect over the last one year has made more parents scared to allow their children and wards to attend classes for fear of losing them.
But the governor has said that the over 800 blocks of classrooms burnt down by Boko Haramterrorists in various schools across the state, will be renovated and that parents who send their children to schools will be continually paid.

He however, did not name the amount to be paid to such parents.
He stressed that present insecurity experienced in the state was as a result of the increasing case of poverty backed by lack of access to education.
Shettima also announced plans to fence all communities in Maiduguri, the state capital to restrict movement, adding that the gates to each of the communities would be manned by vigilante youths who will be paid monthly stipend to safeguard their areas.
“I want to appealed to the people of this community and Borno in general, because there has been a decline in the mode of service to mankind by previous administrations which led to the neglect of providing dividends of democracy to the people, but I want to assure you that we will inculcate the culture of good governance and commitment to the socio-economic development of the state,” he said.

In his reaction, the chairman of Bama- GRA community, Ahmed Yusufari, commended the governor for his commitment to the dealing with the plights of the people of the area, adding that the community was ready to give unflinching support of the administration in developing the state and ensuring that peace is restored.

Once again, Boko Haram gunmen laid siege to Bama, in Borno State, at the weekend, this time armed with knives and cutlasses, killing three persons and injuring eight others.

The injured people are said to be receiving treatment at the University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital, UMTH.

The casualty figure would probably have been higher but for the fact that the town was virtually deserted as residents had fled after experiencing several attacks launched one after another.

The insurgents are believed to have switched to using and cutlasses, in the process slaughtering victims, instead of using guns, in the belief that gunshots would alert and attract security agents.
Meanwhile, over 4000 persons have been displaced in Dumba, a village in the state where 44 people were killed last week, the National Emergency Management Agency, NEMA, has said.

The insurgents numbering about 50 stormed Dumba village last Tuesday at night, setting fire on houses and reportedly killing 44 persons.

According to a statement signed by the agency’s north east zonal information officer, AbdulkadirIbrahim, over 4000 internally displaced persons have so far been registered by officials, majority of who are fishermen and farmers.

Ibrahim said the zonal coordinator of the agency, Muhammed Kanar, led a team of officers from the office to register the displaced person in a camp located at the Central Primary School in Bagatown.

The NEMA team was led to the camp by security agents from the Joint Task Force, JTF, and assisted by the Red Cross and other stakeholders.

According to the statement, displaced persons were provided with mattresses, blankets, mosquito nets, buckets, cups, plates, wax prints, guinea brocade, bathing soap, sanitary pads, and detergents.

Ibrahim also disclosed that they were provided with food items like rice, maize, guinea corn, millet, vegetable oil, palm oil, noodles, salt, sugar and milk.

The chairman of Baga local government area, Lawal Alhaji, who was at the camp to receive theNEMA officials, extended his appreciation to the federal government for providing succour to the people at the time of need.

The People’s Democratic Party, PDP in Rivers on Monday expelled the secretary to the state government, SSG, George Feyii, and 14 commissioners, among others, for alleged insubordination to the party.

The state PDP Chairman, Felix Obuah, announced this at a news briefing in Port Harcourt.

Obuah also announced the expulsion of Sam Sam Jaja, a former PDP deputy national chairman; Tony Okocha, chief of staff to the governor; Aleruchi Cookey-Gam and the sole administrator, Greater Port Harcourt City Development Authority, GPHCDA,from the party.

In what is apparently in line with the feud between the party in the state and Governor RotimiAmaechi, all those expelled are loyalists of the latter.

Obuah said that the expulsion was as a result of their failure to appear before the party’s performance evaluation committee.

“The following persons turned down the invitation of the party’s evaluation committee; neither did they send a report of their activities. Discipline must be upheld in the party for the party to progress, so we have no choice than to follow the recommendation of the disciplinary committee,” he said.

He said that the expulsion was not designed to witch-hunt perceived political enemies, but a decision to strengthen the party.

According to him, the expelled members are not loyal to the party and as such may be having divided loyalty to the opposition party.

Obuah explained that the party’s decision was a commendable one in view of the on-coming national convention.

He emphasised the imperativeness of going to the convention as a united front, adding that protection of the party and Rivers State was its priority.

The secretary of the party, Ibibia Walter, who also spoke at the press briefing, raised an alarm over alleged plans by the state governorand the acting Chief Judge to scuttle the party’s participation at the national convention.

Ibibia called on Governor Amaechi to leave the party alone if he was tired of the party’s membership.

He said that the party would resist any attempt by the government to use a court injunction to stop the party from attending the national convention.

Ibibia reiterated the readiness of the party in the state to continue to support the national leadership of the party as well as President Goodluck Jonathan.

The Governor of Taraba State, Danbaba Suntai, arrived Nigeria on Sunday after 10 months of medical treatment abroad for injuries suffered after a plane which he piloted crashed on October 25, 2012.

Suntai departed the Sea View Hospital Rehabilitation Centre and Home, New York, where he had spent four months this morning and arrived at the old wing of the Nnamdi Azikwe International Airport, Abuja at about 1:10pm.

He alighted from the chartered aircraft aided by attendants and immediately proceeded to Jalingo, the Taraba State capital.

The governor did not talk to newsmen but one of his associates, John Dara, said that the governor was mentally alert as against speculations that he had lost his memory.

“We were excited to see him and it is understandable that after the long trip, he was weak and tired. But, we were thrilled by the fact that he recognised everyone by name which shows that he is mentally alert and lucid,” Dara said.

He noted that the governor’s mental alertness indicated that he was capable of taking over the affairs of the state.

“That itself is a clear indication that he is capable of running the affairs of Taraba as the governor. We had no doubt in our minds that when he gets back to Jalingo today, it will be up to his doctor to say whether he will resume today or in a couple of days to come,” Dara said.

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But Suntai’s return may turn out to be as controversial and divisive as his stay way for medical treatment abroad as some concerned citizens of Taraba have expressed concern about his full recovery and ability to take over his office as governor.

To show that he is well enough to resume his duties, some residents insist that Suntai publicly address the people of the state as well as the House of Assembly as soon as he arrives.

Suntai was flown to Germany for further medical treatment on October 27, 2012.

Bama, a major town in Borno State where several attacks of the Islamic terrorist group, BokoHaram, have been launched requires no less than N3.5 billion for reconstruction, according toAbdurrahman Terab, who represents the area at the House of Representatives.

Speaking to journalists on Sunday, Terab, who represents the Bama/Dikwa/Gamboru-Ngala people, said the state government cannot be left alone with the burden of rebuilding the crisis-torn town as it would gulp up a large chunk of the state’s resources.

He therefore called for assistance from the federal government and relevant stakeholders.
The town which used to be home to about 500,000 persons has now become deserted, owing to the several attacks that have left dozens dead and many others maimedor scarred for life.

In a most recent attack launched in the town last month, about 200 heavily armed members of theBoko Haram sect arrived in buses and pickup trucks and carried out one of the most coordinated strikes in the town, first hitting the army barracks and the police station before breaking into the town’s prison.

About 55 people, including 22 police officers, 14 prison officials, two soldiers and four civilians were killed in the assault that also freed over 100 prison inmates according to military sources.

The attack has been described as one of the insurgents most brazen and its deadliest single strike since a 2009 uprising.