Taraba State Governor Danbaba Fulani Suntai, who was involved in an air crash in October last year where he was the pilot, today, (Saturday), left New York for Nigeria after spending about ten months receiving medical attention in both Germany and the US.
LEADERSHIP had exclusively reported on Tuesday that, Governor Suntai who was last week certified fit by his medical team in New York to undergo a long flight back to Nigeria, would be arriving the country at the end of the week.
Governor Danbaba Suntai, who departed JF Kennedy Airport in New York City on Saturday afternoon aboard a United States Chattered flight will be arriving the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja on Sunday afternoon.
In a brief telephone interview, the wife of the governor, Mrs Hauwa Suntai, who had been in Abuja waiting for her husband, said that there was no iota of truth in the report that Governor Suntai’s return was stage-managed by her and some commissioners that were loyal to him.
The Taraba State first lady insisted that Suntai’s return would be made open to the public, stressing that the governor was fit to address the public on his return to Taraba State.
An online journal (not LEADERSHIP) had, on Friday, reported that efforts were in place to make the governor wave to the people at the airport without saying a word.
But in a swift reaction, Mrs Suntai said that there was no reason to stop him from speaking with the people, having been absent for almost ten months from his people and Nigerians.
She also made it known that there was no plan to delay the governor’s return till late in the night as reported by the online journal.
Also speaking with our correspondent over the phone, Dr. Andrew Smith, one of the US consultants that Governor Suntai, said that the governor was discharged by the hospital hale and hearty.
He added that all medical examinations were duly carried out on the governor before the decision to allow him embark on the long trip to Nigeria was taken.
Although, Dr. Andrew Smith, who confirmed to our correspondent that Governor Suntai had been asking to be discharged for over three weeks, he said that his discharge was further delayed because the medical team wanted to be sure that he was fit to undergo the trip
It would be recalled that the governor had reportedly told the doctors two weeks ago when he went for one of his compulsory therapies that he was willing to be allowed to return back to Nigeria immediately, but was told by the health officials to wait till the end of last week for further monitoring after which a final report on his capability to undergo a long flight would be provided.
A dependable family source, who spoke with LEADERSHIP’s correspondent in New York on Monday confirmed that arrangements were in top gear to ensure that the governor’s return was made open to the press and members of the Nigerian public.
It would be recalled that there were publications in some newspapers in recent times (LEADERSHIP not among) where it was reported that some aides and loyalists of the governor of Taraba State were planning to smuggle him into the country without the knowledge of the public.
Shortly after these reports, the state Commissioner for Information, Mr. Emmanuel Bello, made it known that there was no iota of truth in the publications, saying that there was no plan to smuggle his principal into Nigeria.
The commissioner said that the governor was responding to the treatment in the US, noting that: “The acting governor visited him recently in the US. So, at the appropriate time, we shall announce the date of his return. His return will not be shrouded in secrecy. So, no one should panic or bandy rumour of a certain date around.”
In an earlier chat with our correspondent on the possibility of Suntai’s return within this week, Dr. Andrew Smith, confirmed that the governor was fully fit and could return back to Nigeria on a long flight anytime he wished.
He faulted the rumour making it round that the hospital once issued a notice to the governor’s family and the government of Taraba State that he would not be able to function as governor again.
It would also be recalled that two months ago, there was a report in a journal (not LEADERSHIP), saying that the US doctors had advised the governor’s wife, Mrs Hauwa Suntai and the state government to return him back to Nigeria with a confirmation that he would not function as a normal human being again.
