Banks have been rejecting transactions of the Taraba State government initiated by Deputy Governor of the state, Garba Umar since the return of Governor Danbaba Suntai last Sunday, it has been revealed.
Umar had urged the banks to honour the government’s financial transactions if they are in tandem with provisions of the law, that is, containing the verifiable signatures of the executive governor of the state and the acting governor of the state.
However, it has now been revealed that a cheque tendered for withdrawal was turned down last week by a bank, meaning the deputy governor no longer has access to the over N23.3bn in the state’s treasury, but can only draw money from his own personal accounts at the moment.
Taraba is known to run its monthly federal allocations with Zenith Bank and its Local Government Joint Account with United Bank for Africa (UBA).
The state has been engulfed in a crisis of governance since Suntai’s return, ostensibly to counter his deputy who is believed to be consolidating his hold on power.
Suntai then dissolved the executive and appointed a new Chief of Staff and Secretary to the State Government (SSG), a move the deputy governor rejected, claiming that a cabal and not the governor was behind it.
While Speaker of the Taraba State House of Assembly, Haruna Tsokwa and 15 other lawmakers are backing the deputy governor to continue in power until the governor is sufficiently fit to assume the business of governance, Majority Leader, Joseph Albasu and seven other legislators have already given Suntai the nod to resume work following his letter to the House on the matter.
Meanwhile, National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Alhaji Bamanga Tukur is finalising plans to embark on a visit to the troubled state, to iron out the souring relationship between the camps of Suntai and his deputy.
Both the ‘old’ SSG, Mr Gavey Yaweh who was holding the office before the purported dissolution of the EXCO and the new SSG appointed by Suntai, Barrister Gibon Kataps are serving as SSG.
On Thursday, Kataps was assumed office as the new SSG but the following day, Yaweh spotted in the same office still as SSG. This confusion and many others are what Tukur will be expected to resolve during his visit to the state. Tukur is also expected to meet with Suntai’s family members, the acting governor, the speaker of the Assembly, the deputy speaker, other principal officers and other top government functionaries.
