PDP eulogises late Suntai

The Taraba Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Mr Victor Bala, has described the death of former Gov. Danbaba Suntai as a great loss to the people of the state.

Reacting to the news of the ex-governor who died on Wednesday in the U.S., Bala said Suntai’s name would be written in gold as a peaceful and hardworking governor.

According to the party chief, Suntai brought great development to the state during his six years as governor.

He said the former governor would also be remembered for his political maturity in handling the affairs of the state.

“He carried everyone along irrespective of their religious, political or ethnic affiliations,” he said.

Suntai was involved in a plane crash in Oct. 25, 2012 when a private aircraft he piloted himself crashed in Yola.

Suntai was born in June, 30, 1961 at Suntai Town in Bali Local Government Area of Taraba.

He attended the Federal Government College, Kano from 1975 to 1980 and the School of Basic Studies at Ahmadu Bello University (ABU), Zaria, from 1980 to 1981.

He was later admitted to the same ABU to read Pharmacy and graduated in 1984.

He did his internship at Yola Specialist Hospital and his National Youth Service at the State Hospital, Ijaiye, Abeokuta in Ogun State from 1985 to 1986.

He then worked at the General Hospital, Ganye in old Gongola State.

Suntai was elected and headed the Bali Local Government as the Chairman from 1989 to 1993.

Joining the Taraba Civil Service, he was Director-General of the Taraba Ministry of Agriculture and National Resources from 1994 to 1996.

In the 1999 elections, he was the State chairman of the All People’s Party (APP) when the PDP narrowly defeated the All Nigeria People’s Party (ANPP).

In 2000, he became the Chairman of Taraba State Investment and Properties Ltd.

He was the Commissioner for Education between 2000 and 2003 and worked at the Ministry of Health from 2003 to 2005 before becoming Secretary to the Taraba State Government from 2005 to 2007.

He was elected governor under the PDP in 2007 to become the second executive governor of the state.

The late former governor was involved in an air crash while flying his aircraft to Yola and has since been moving from one hospital to another for treatment.