Ishaku sacks minister’s brother, pledges befitting burial for Jukun monarch

Governor Darius Ishaku of Taraba State may have dumped his promise to work with the Minister of State for Works and Housing, Muazu Sambo, following the sack of his Senior Special Assistant, Alhaji Usman Sa’adu, the minister’s brother.

In another development, he has expressed his administration’s readiness to honour the late chairman, Taraba Council of Chiefs, Dr. Shekarau Angyu, with one of the most outstanding rights of passage.

In a two paragraph statement made available to journalists, yesterday, in Jalingo, Senior Special Adviser to the Governor on Media and Publicity, Bala Dan Abu, noted: “Governor Darius Ishaku has relieved Usman Sa’adu, a Senior Special Assistant, of his appointment.”

The statement, which gave no reason for the sack, added that Ishaku approved it, yesterday, to take immediate effect.

Confirming receiving a letter to that effect from the Governor’s Office, Sa’adu explained that it could not be unconnected with recent developments on the appointment of his elder brother as a minister by President Muhammadu Buhari.

In another statement, yesterday, the governor expressed sadness at a letter purportedly written and signed by the Secretary, Wukari Traditional Council, Bala Useni, on behalf of the Central Planning Committee soliciting donations for the burial the Kwararafa Kingdom leader.

Wondering why the committee was going cap-in-hand for the burial of the first class monarch, he said the state has the capacity to give the monarch a befitting burial.

Part of the statement reads: “Governor Ishaku finds this step purportedly taken by the planning committee not only distasteful but highly embarrassing to the entire Kwararafa race.

“Kwararafa people do not need to publicly solicit funds to bury their traditional leader, a man who occupied one of Nigeria’s foremost traditional stools for about 46 years, and provided the most dedicated and patriotic service for which the nation remains eternally grateful to him.”

He assured that the late Aku-Uka “could and would be honoured with one of the most outstanding rights of passage at appropriate time with the state government playing a leading role.”

Ishaku directed those behind the letter soliciting donations for the burial to withdraw it immediately to stop any further step that could further embarrass the state government and the Kwararafa people.

The late Aku-Uka, whose obsequies would January 14, transited in October last year at 84 years of age, after leading the Kwararafa (Jukun) race for 45 years.