Court Nullified Panel On Taraba Gov’s Health

The medical panel set up the speaker of the Taraba state House of Assembly to investigate the status of the state Governor Danbaba Suntai has been nullified by the state High Court sitting in janligo on Friday.

Justice Silas Haruna, in a five-hour judgement, said the action of the state’s executive council and the state assembly in setting up the panel was a usurpation of the judicial process.

Haruna held that Suntai had already filed a suit before the state high court challeging the decision of the House of Assembly to stop him from resuming duty after he transmitted a letter to that effect on August 26.

“There are two cases on this matter: one between Mr Bello Mustapha against Suntai at the Supreme Court and Suntai against the House of Assembly at the state high court; both are served on the defendants.

“Their action of setting up the panel to investigate Suntai is thus a usurpation of the powers of the Supreme Court and the state high court.

“It is, therefore, illegal, null and void,” he said.

Haruna ordered the parties not to take further action on Suntai untill the determination of the substantive suites at various courts.

He noted that any party that was not satisfied with the judgment had 90 days to to appeal.

Lead counsel to Umar, Mr Chris Uche (SAN), said they were not satisfied with the judgment but would study it carefully and take further action.