Taraba Killings Politically Motivated, Senator Alleges

Senator representing Taraba North senatorial district in the National Assembly, Senator Emmanuel Bwacha, Thursday alleged that a cabal opposed to power shift from the central district to the south as canvassed by the ailing Governor Danbaba Suntai are behind the recent killings in some parts of the state.

Bwacha made the allegation while briefing journalists in the National Assembly. He claimed that the killings were politically-motivated.

Crisis had broken out in Wukari Local Government Area of the state on Tuesday, leaving some people dead and a number of others homeless.

The killings continued on Wednesday, thus claiming the lives of seven others.

Bwacha said perpetrators of the crisis do so with the intention of portraying the southern district as crisis-ridden with the overall mission to stall its plan to produce the next governor of the state.

“To keen watchers of events in the state, the present crisis that is going on is more of a political crisis than the superficial meaning or interpretations being given. The basis like I earlier pointed out is on the power shift which the governor had canvassed for the state and which had received a broad based support across the state.

“The thinking by those perpetrating or fueling this crisis is to create the impression that the region is crisis-ridden and so does not deserve a fair share of the power equation vein sought for.

“Why I said that there is a cabal-in-chief is because the group responsible for fuelling this crisis under the headship of an individual is known to us and we believe God will expose him very soon,” he said.

Bwacha also alleged that the state was broke, arguing that the trend has resulted in frequent borrowings by the government led by acting Governor Umar.

“To say that the state is broke is speaking the obvious because you cannot go and borrow when you have money. And for the past few months, no month that passes without the state borrowing to pay salaries. Until they get subventions, they borrow to pay salaries and then the state runs into red again. This is quite a pitiful situation that we have found ourselves in. This is why I said we should call for prayers.

“What I am referring to here is that there is no reasonable execution of priorities. There is a rush to empty the state treasury so as to probably use the funds for the purposes of politics in 2015. Otherwise, why all these borrowings at this time of the history of the State?” he queried.