Taraba State Governor Danbaba Suntai, has described his life as a living testimony just as he said that he had forgiven the people that were heating up the polity over his health condition because of their selfish interests.
Suntai stated tis in New York while speaking with our correspondent on Sunday evening during a reception organised by Ambassador Kennedy F. Apoe, a former Nigerian Ambassador to the United Nations, to celebrate the governor’s 52nd birthday at his private residence in Staten Island in New York, said that he gave all thanks to God for making him to still be alive.
Below is the conversation between Governor Danbaba Suntai and our correspondent:
Your Excellency, how are you sir?
Suntai: I am fine (Smiles). I am very fine.
Good, sir can you recollect the incident that brought you to the United States?
Suntai: Yes, a crash. They said i was involved in a plane crash but i do not want to talk about it now because the memory takes me back. The doctors advised that i should not be made to remember the incident, but i am fine now.
Okay sir. So how do you feel today, having your family members and some aides around you for your birthday celebration?
Suntai: I am happy that i am alive to witness today. I thank all of them for their supports....(paused)
Our correspondent reports that Governor Suntai personally demanded that a Worship Song titled: ‘Mighty To Save, and Everyone Needs Forgiveness’ which was sang by a Christian group called ‘Hillsong’, be played for him.
The governor, after listening and singing the song along with her daughters, Mariam, Edigwa and Zainab, for about eight minutes, said that he loved the song because it always reminded him that he must always forgive all his offenders just as God does forgive him of all his sins too.
On this note, Suntai said that he had forgiven all his offenders including those he said had been heating up Taraba state just because of their selfish interests.
Asked what he missed most since he has been away from his territory, Danbaba Suntai said that he missed many things but specifically mentioned the celebration he always holds with his community people in his home town every Christmas period.
Suntai who was dressed in a navy blue colour suit, with a red T-shirt under it, quoted the name of the person that uses to beat the traditional drums for him during the celebration as “Danjuma”, stressing that he (Suntai) would surely be present when it will again be celebrated at the end of this year.
Shortly after this, the governor demanded that some food be brought for him and Mrs Mabel Apoe, wife of the host and organizer of the indoor celebration which lasted for about three hours, served him with some rice, beans, salad, green tea, and water melon- the governor ate all these, though with no meat.
According to our correspondent, four different telephone calls out of which one was made by the former Deputy Speaker of the Taraba State House of Assembly, Honorable Abel Diah, were transferred to Governor Suntai by his wife who earlier picked the calls shortly after the cake cutting (NOTE FOR EDITORS: I have Photo and Video Proofs for that)
In a brief chat with our correspondent, the Governor’s wife, Hajia Hauwa Suntai, said that her husband’s case was truly a living testimony, adding that it was only the intervention of God that brought the governor back to life. “I am quite happy and excited, and i thank God for everything” She added.
She said: “As you can see, we are all over him and everybody here present is happy with him. I do not really care about all the negative reports that some journalists have been writing about my husband and you can see it for yourself now that he is really doing well. You can even see that he has improved more than the last time you came to visit him at home”
She pressed further that a media report (Not in LEADERSHIP) which had last week said that the US doctors with Governor Suntai had asked the family to take him back to Nigeria as a result of non-improvement in his health condition was fake, saying that none of the family members or the Taraba state government ever received such directive or advice from the hospital where the governor was being attended to.
Speaking on how she received the news of the air crash that involved her husband the day it happened, the Taraba first lady said: “It was so shocking, and it created missed feelings and emotions for her because i never thought he could survive it. It was very tough but we thank God that he survived it at the end of the day”
Also the host, Ambassador Kennedy Apoe in a chat with LEADERSHIP, who said that he was glad that the governor was alive to witness his birthday celebration, described his health condition as “excellent”, stressing that he and the governor had been together in the last few days and they had discussed several issues, ranging from his health to the political situation of Nigeria.
Ambassador Apoe said: “With where the governor is coming from, i will say his health condition is excellent. Anytime we go to see him, he always talks with us normally as against media propaganda by his political opponents. He always remembers previous discussions so how do you say such a man has lost his memory”
The governor’s daughter, Maria, told our correspondent that she was not happy with her father’s condition but said she thanked God for bringing him back to life.
Contrary to reports, one of the governor’s physicians who earlier spoke with our correspondent over the phone, Dr. Andrew Smith, confirmed that the governor was not on an admission at the Sea View Hospital Rehabilitation Centre in New York.
He said that Mr. Suntai had been discharged from the hospital about two weeks ago but was only asked to always visit the Rehabilitation Centre for therapies which would make his doctors determine when he is fit to undergo a long distance flight back to Nigeria.
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