The battle for the soul of Taraba State has taken a new dimension with the Senator representing Taraba South, Emmanuel Bwacha, declaring that the state would be better off in the hands of a primary school leaver than allowing Acting Governor Garba Umar continue on the seat.
Bwacha, who is a staunch loyalist of recuperating Governor Danbaba Suntai, disclosed that Umar swore to Suntai that he would not contest the 2015 governorship elections, vowing to stop him if he goes ahead and contest.
The senator, in an open letter on Tuesday, accused the acting governor of stoking the flame of division between the Tivs and Jukun people of Taraba.
Bwacha said: “I am compelled to write this letter because I owe it as a responsibility to provide leadership and light where darkness and confusion have taken over. There comes a time in the life of a man when silence is no longer considered golden”.
He accused Umar of instituting in the state “tyranny and dictatorship”, which he said is the “worst possible disservice to mankind”.
Bwacha continued: “I opposed your becoming deputy governor from day one and now I’m more than vindicated.
“I warned Suntai, now see what we have. I’m aware you swore to Suntai about your ambition.
“You know this and your God knows, because Suntai actually expressed his reservations a day before he accepted you.
“You told him that you won’t pursue any personal ambition but see what you are doing: campaigning vigorously.
“Did you expect me to keep quiet when our people were ambushed and killed by insurgents who confessed that someone paid them to come and unleash hell in our area?
“You expected me to chicken out when you told some of your minions in Jalingo that it was not herdsmen who were attacking the Tiv people but the Jukun dressed like Fulani.
“This, you had hoped would incite Tiv against Jukun. You don’t know that Jukun and Tiv are now united against any form of criminality?
“It is better for a primary school leaver to be governor than allow you ruin Taraba. We won’t let that happen to our people”, the senator insisted.
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