The senator representing Taraba South Senatorial District in the National Assembly, Senator Emmanuel Bwacha, on Thursday traced the violent clashes between the ethnic groups in Taraba State to “the ambition of some powerful cabal to prevent power shift to the southern part of the state”.
Bwacha, who stated this at a press briefing in Abuja, also fingered the current leadership of the state in a plot to run the state ‘aground’ through indiscriminate borrowings and bond issues.
He noted that the plan for a power shift to the south, which was being championed by the recuperating Governor Danbaba Suntai since 2007 when he assumed office, was being thwarted by those he alleged were behind the crisis plaguing the state.
He said, “The crisis in the state is not actually unconnected to the position of the governor who has been maintaining to prevent political crisis.
“However, after the air crash, that involved the governor there has been crisis because the thinking of those who are causing this crisis is to create an impression that the southern zone is crises ridden so does not deserve its fair share of the power equation being sought for”.
Bwacha, who is a staunch loyalist of Governor Suntai, alleged that the state government under the leadership of Acting Governor Garba Umar, was borrowing money in order to actualise its mission to frustrate power shift to the south in 2015.
“Those cabal in charge should know that God has his own plan for the state, I have some appeals to make to those in charge of the affairs in the state to please in the interest of future Tarabans, the generation yet unborn, put on hold their indiscriminate borrowing.
“They should put on hold, their plans for indiscriminate borrowing we are aware that the N30bn bond is being negotiated with the UBA and there is also a N4bn loan sought from Skye bank, this is outside the monthly borrowing that is done to pay salaries.
“In essence, the state is being ran aground. I feel for the state, we are praying for them, we are asking God to give them wisdom, otherwise, the future of our children is very bleak”.
Bwacha, who is Chairman of the Senate Committee on Agriculture and Rural Development, noted that Suntai, before the crash that incapacitated him, had put in place necessary mechanisms to address the problems in the state.
According to him, “The group that is causing crisis is headed by a cabal, who I will not mention. The move to borrow money and run the state aground, is to gather money for political reasons, especially towards 2015”.
He said the crisis in the state was no different to what has been happening in other states and that it had nothing to do with the Fulani herdsmen.
He, however, said there were efforts to make sure that there is presence of security operatives in the troubled spots.
I’m delighted that,some of our leaders esp. in the state level and beyng, knows the secret about the ongoing crisis in the state. I assure you that,a father who has the intention of eliminating his child is not deserve to be call ‘father’. Ours’ is prayer with prophecy that may GOD almighty reveals the secret of those antagonist of Christ.