Taraba state is in grieving mood over the death of the
Speaker, Haruna Tsokwa.
Tsokwa died at the Federal Medical
Centre (FMC), Jalingo –the state capital in the early hours of Monday.
He was 47 years.
The FMC’s Medical Director, Dr. Wizard
Inusa, declined comment on what killed the man who, until the tragedy, was
thought to be well.
Undisclosed sources said he died of
“heart-related ailments.”
His aides said he slumped at home
before he was rushed to the hospital, from where he gave up the ghost.
This is not the first time the
deceased slumped, a family source said.
Tsokwa was nominated to lead the
state Christian pilgrimage to Israel on November 3 but could not travel on
health grounds when he reportedly slumped last week.
The Taraba State House of Assembly’s
Public Relations Officer, Timothy Iyard, who officially confirmed the demise of
the Speaker to journalists, only said the deceased died of “brief illness.”
The Speaker’s body was moved from
the FMC and deposited at a mortuary in the Specialist Hospital, Jalingo.
The deceased was representing Takum
I constituency in the state Assembly.
He became Speaker on April 22, after
former Speaker Istifanua Haruna Gbana was impeached by the House.
Tsokwa had led 15 lawmakers, out of
the 24-member Assembly, to stop Governor Danbaba Danfulani Suntai from resuming
duty, in spite of the letter the recuperating governor transmitted to the
Assembly on his readiness to resume duty.
Instead, he transmitted power to the
Deputy Governor, Alhaji Garba Umar, to continue to act, insisting that Suntai
should return to the United States for further treatment.
Suntai, exasperated by the affront,
filed litigation against the late Speaker and majority of the lawmakers,
praying the court to give judicial interpretation of Section 190(2) of the
Constitution –a Provision which deals with transmission of letter and
resumption of work by a governor after prolonged absence.
The matter was referred to the
Appeal Court following the inability of the parties to settle out of court.
Tsokwa had come under attack by
unknown gunmen during a trip along Akwanga-Abuja Road in which his security
aide was shot and later died.
His community in Takum had opposed
his stand against the recuperating governor.
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Politics