“Governor Suntai may not return to duty soon” – Chief Medical Director of Taraba Specialist Hospital

Prof. Zakari Aliyu, the embattled Chief Medical Director (CMD) of Taraba Specialist Hospital, on Friday, said the ailing governor of the state, Danbaba Suntai, might not return to duty soon.

Aliyu stated this in Jalingo while testifying before the ad hoc committee of the House of Assembly investigating the motives behind the CMD's recent press interview on the governor's health.

The CMD had said in the controversial interview that the governor's brain injury sustained in the plane crash had made him lose some cognitive abilities.

The doctor, at Friday's session, reaffirmed the contents of his earlier interview.

"When I arrived in Germany, I met the physicians of the governor and we reviewed the details of his medical report," he said. "I asked the nurses attached to the governor and they made available to me all his medical records. Given the nature of His Excellency's condition, he can't be expected home in one or two weeks."

The CMD added that his motive of granting the interview was just to ginger up the state government on the need to transfer Suntai from Germany to John Hopkins Hospital in the U.S. to avail him better treatment options.

Aliyu explained that he had been handling Suntai's health for the past five years.

He said the ailing governor had also been receiving treatment for three chronic diseases which he said, would not be divulged for ethical reasons.

The Speaker of the House, Mr Istifanus Gbana, said the committee was set up to find out if Aliyu's press interview had not violated the Oath of Secrecy enshrined in the Civil Service Rule.

Represented by the Deputy speaker, Abel Diah, the speaker said Aliyu was not the personal physician of the governor and should have sought for permission from appropriate authority before granting the interview.

The Chairman of the committee, Edward Baraya, said the committee would study Aliyu's response and submit its report to the assembly.