Taraba Governor, Ishaku Returns To His State For The First Time in 87 Days, Reveals Why He Stayed Away

Ishaku

The Nation reports that Governor Darius Ishaku on Thursday returned to Jalingo – the Taraba State capital, after spending 87 days outside the State.

A huge crowd welcomed him at the Danbaba Suntai Airport, Jalingo.

The plane conveying him landed at 4:00 p.m.

The governor disclosed he had fallen and broken his legs but he has healed tremendously.

He however said he has not recovered fully.

Ishaku, without transferring power to his deputy, Haruna Manu, had been absent for 87 days.

His last official outing in Taraba was on December 19, 2019, when he presented the 2020 appropriation bill to the State House of Assembly.

He reportedly left Jalingo – the state capital on December 22, 2019.

He reportedly moved the machinery of government to Abuja FCT where he steered Taraba.

His long absence created anxiety and divided the state along party lines.

Ishaku told reporters on arrival that he had been complying with medical advice, which prolonged his stay in Abuja.

He refuted claims that governance in Taraba suffered setback during the period of his absence.

He fielded questions from reporters upon his arrival at the Danbaba Suntai Airport.

Ishaku said: “I had an accident in the house. I fell off from a staircase and broke my legs.

“But I did not know, so I had to go for surgery. Then, I came back to recover from the injuries.

“And there were speculations: some said I am dead; some said I am crippled; some said I am vegetable.

“You are seeing me talking today, not that I have recovered fully but my doctor said I can travel today. That is why I have returned.”

The Governor expressed gratitude to his deputy, Haruna Manu, for “holding the forte well” for him during his absence.

He thanked the Assembly, under the leadership of Speaker Joseph Albasu Kunini, for passing “a vote of confidence” on him when the opposition asked the lawmakers to impeach him for allegedly paralysing governance in the state.

He also thanked the judiciary and security agencies, saying they did well during his absence.

Responding on allegations that his absence had paralysed governance in Taraba, Ishaku said: “It is not true that nothing was working during my absence.

“I was getting reports everyday about what was going on in the State, and everything was working correctly, in spite of my absence.

“I want all Nigerians to note that we are all humans -that I am a governor does not make me super-human.

“I made a mistake of running upstairs in my house around 8:00 pm. Then they took the light. I fell and rolled down and that created crisis for me, which I never anticipated.

“Now, all of us are like that. An accident can happen to anybody at anytime, anywhere. So, when you glorify it and start singing music about it, it doesn’t help you.

“I want to assure the people of Taraba State that I am healing very well and nothing will stop moving in the state. The Rescue Agenda is ongoing,” Ishaku said.