CURRENT AFFAIRS: The severity of Governor Danbaba Suntai's Brain Damage became obvious to the leadership of the Taraba State House of Assembly who visited him today

A surprise invitation was extended to the lawmakers to meet Mr. Suntai after a group of state legislators threatened to commence the ailing governor's impeachment. One of the lawmakers who saw Mr. Suntai said the sudden invitation was designed to placate lawmakers.

The delegation of lawmakers was led by the speaker of the Taraba State Assembly, Haruna Tsokwa. Our sources revealed that the legislators met Mr. Suntai who was seated on a couch struggling to speak some words to the delegates. They disclosed that Mr. Suntai did not recognize any of the lawmakers. His speech was characterized as garbled, confused and mostly inaudible, according to one source. He added that, at one point, the brain-injured governor managed to say that one of them was his "big deputy." The person he referred to then told Mr. Suntai that he was not his deputy.

Our sources added that the bizarre meeting convinced the assembly leadership that Mr. Suntai was incapable of running the state. They retreated to a meeting at the state assembly. The meeting ended and the lawmakers left without addressing the media, the promised to return to the chambers tomorrow.

Meanwhile, the cabal tied to Mr. Suntai that has sought to maneuver the sick governor back in office this evening carried out another charade by swearing in some so-called "newly appointed" government officials in the state. The alleged swearing-in took place at the governor's dining room without any member of his executive council or security chiefs in attendance. There was no judicial officer in sight to administer the oath

Mr. Suntai was made to seat on one of the chairs and at a point given a paper to read. A witness said it was unclear what he tried to do with the paper, at a point he spoke a few words in Hausa but for the rest of the event his voice was inaudible throughout the charade.

According Saharareporters, the "bizarre announcement" was hatched by Mrs. Hauwa Suntai, the wife of Mr. Suntai, who is "illegally occupying the government house" and uses her ailing husband as "a shield".

A source in the camp of the Acting governor, Alhaji Garba Umar, revealed to Saharareporters that the cabinet dissolution by Mr. Suntai's wife carries "no effect".

Residents were "urged to disregard the purported dissolution of the cabinet and go about their normal duties."

The acting governor and several commissioners, including security chiefs in the state, attended a meeting where they planned to adequately respond to the ruse, the source stated.

BIZZARE: Indian Snake Festival Or How To Get Blessings From Snakes

"For us snakes are gods. We worship snakes, we would never want them to suffer."

Hundreds of people queued in a remote village in eastern India over the weekend to receive blessings from metres-long and potentially deadly snakes, thought to bring them good luck.



An Indian snake charmer displays a variety of "gokhras" - cobras - at a Purba Bishnupur snake fair.

Snake charmers clapped and beat colourful drums to lure their "prized catches" out of wicker baskets and clay pots, as part of an annual festival in the village of Purba Bishnupur in West Bengal state.
"It is an art to make the snakes come out of their boxes and baskets,'' Hyder Mal, a 46-year-old snake charmer taking part in the festival said.

The snakes, considered by the locals as incarnations of the Hindu snake goddess Manasa, swayed to the rhythm and motion of their handlers as the villagers drew closer.

Every year, people from the area gather in the green village some 85 kilometres from the state capital Kolkata, to honour and pray to Manasa.

Indian snake festival Snake charmers say bringing cobras out of their baskets is an "art".
The goddess is believed to bring good luck ahead of the harvest season and also ward off troubles in this mainly agricultural belt.

Mal, a father of six, appears at ease as he handles a long golden-brown cobra while urging the crowd gathered around to donate freely.

"Business has gone down for us. People want to take blessings from the snakes but are stingy when it comes to paying up,'' he complained.

Mal, who owns six large serpents, reminisces of the time when business was roaring, mainly because of the demand for venom used to treat snake bites.

"Now we are living a life of penury. Synthetic venom is what is used now. The government does not care about us,'' said Mal.

"I wouldn't want any of my children to carry on with our family tradition,'' he added.



Indian snake festival Snake charmers claim they 'worship' cobras like gods, but animal activists say the reptiles are being abused.

Charmers have long been a favourite with tourists in India. But their numbers dwindled after the government strengthened laws in 2002 proscribing the commercial use of wild animals, including performances with live snakes.

The legislation emptied most cities of charmers, although they can still be found in rural areas, and also around major tourist sites, risking arrest as they try to cajole visitors into taking a photo for a small fee.

Animal rights activists accuse snake charmers of cruelly capturing the serpents in suffocating bags and yanking their teeth out or sewing their mouths shut so that they don't bite.

Mal and other snake charmers were quick to refute the charges. "For us snakes are gods. We worship snakes, we would never want them to suffer,'' said a 60-year-old charmer, who did not want to be identified