A socio-political organisation with widespread membership across the 196 political wards of Cross River have taken a former governor to the cleaners over disparaging comments against incumbent governor of the state NEGROIDHAVEN can report authoritatively.
Fusion 196 has chided Donald Etim Duke for hauling invectives at Ben B. Ayade recently during an outing of the opposition People’s Democratic Party, PDP in Calabar the state capital.
According to a press conference which held in the state capital metropolis, Fusion 196 who expressed disappointment at how low Duke could go in denigrating the office of state governor, opined that those who live in glass houses should not throw stones. They added that Duke’s diatribe against Ayade is a smokescreen for frustrating the youth who have access courtesy of Ayade to render service through politics to the state.
While expressing solidarity with Ayade they said in part ‘It was with disappointment that Crossriverians watched Mr. Donald Duke at a consultative meeting in Calabar when he left ideological issues to disparage and caste aspersion on the person and office of the governor of Cross River State. Regrettably, at that meeting he made spurious and damaging allegations against the person of our Distinguished Governor, Prof Ben Ayade, we hope he will have the facts to proof his allegations in the court of law.
‘Ordinarily we would not be involved with Mr. Donald Duke’s sinking demeanor shown in his disdain for credibility. But we feel morally obligated to have this press conference to correct his untamed hatred for a performer and humanist as always portrayed by Sen. Ben Ayade. Interestingly, the governor stood like a rock for him when the Asset Management Company of Nigeria almost rendered Duke homeless in Lagos for loans collected to the tune of 500 million naira.
‘In profound solidarity, we stand with the governor who is the real unifying figure in Cross River State having braced all odds to ensure equity prevails for Southern Senatorial District. We also want to use this press conference to encourage the youths to rise up, stand strong and be counted in moments of furry against Senator Prof. Benedict Ayade who has come to open up opportunities for youths against the establishment for which Duke stands for.’
Fusion 196 who highlighted the fact that Duke’s comments was tantamount to inciting violence in the state, stated that beyond the fact that Duke has led a failed political career thus far since leaving office as governor, his recent outing is nothing but selfishness.
‘Donald Duke seems depressed by his utterances, exuding an imminent failure syndrome, he has gone berserk and thrown caution into the winds with an untamed flippancy. However, Crossriverians know Mr. Donald Duke is not being altruistic as former governor in his vituperations. As a failed national politician, he is playing an egocentric politics if not why has he seen Sen. Ayade in a bad light just at this moment when he earlier eulogized his industrial revolution and innovation.
‘Mr. Duke’s speech was very undignifying, for he sunk so low to the abyss with invectives in a tout-like manner. We have it on good authority that Mr. Donald is playing a script by his sponsors to incite violence in the state that may lead to a breakdown of law and order, in order to paint a picture of insecurity in our dear State. But he would fail woefully. Mr. Donald Duke should be a man of integrity and honour, he should not speak from both sides of his mouth, he should water down his appetite for power and remember that those who live in glass houses should not throw stones.
‘We understand that part of Mr. Donald Duke’s anger against Sen. Ayade is his unwavering support for the “Back to South” Tsunami which is a genuine pro people aspiration that endears a spirit of shared responsibility and mutual trust in Cross River State.
‘It seems to us that Mr. Donald Duke wants to be the only governor that has come out from the Southern part of Cross River State. If not, how can we explain his outright disdain for equity.
‘Mr. Donald Duke to us is fighting against our collective resolve, that he wants the south to be out of power after sixteen years and counting is satanic and incomprehensible. Perhaps, while he pontificates about competence in the CRS political climate at the national he joined Governor Wike to fight for power rotation, what an irony.
‘Mr. Donald Duke is supporting someone other than Senator Otu because he knows Senator Otu’s performance as a Governor will outclass his eight years of assault on dissenting voices, poorly conceptualized projects and of course give him out as one who did not really do well for both the people of the South and Crossriverians in general. Mr. Duke cannot sustain friendship or sound relationship especially when he is not on the benefiting side, of course he has fallen out with all his known friends because of his unbearing greed and fake superiority complex, like he did to Senator Liyel, Sen Gershom Bassey he now wants to undermine HE Prof Ben Ayade in whose abode he hitherto went to drink “small stout” what a man.
‘Mr. Duke talks about Sen Ayade’s budgets and forgets that all his white elephant projects were dead even before his exit as a governor, his friend Senator Liyel who succeeded him laid empahssis to this, one who plunged the state into unbearable debt burden with his ego tripping projects.
‘If not that politics is a leveler how can a man whose certificate has remained questionable have the audacity to doubt HE Sen Professor Ben Ayade’s degrees, a Professor, a renowned environmentalist, one who has consulted for multi nationals, a lawyer called to the Nigerian Bar, a business man of international repute and a sitting Governor, this should necessitate a call for his (Dukes) proper medical examination.’
Fusion 196 is reacting to Duke’s comment of 5 days ago where amongst other things he said about Ayade, ‘He is not a relative or family but I see him as an acquaintance who amuses me when I am bored. If I’m bored I could sit with Ayade and drink small stout and he will make me laugh but to think that I am his mate, I am not his mate at all.’
What follows is an excerpt of the full press release by Fusion 196:
WORLD PRESS CONFERENCE BY FUSION 196 CROSS RIVER STATE IN SOLIDARITY WITH SENATOR PROF BENEDICT AYADE (CON) AND TO ENDORSE SENATOR BASSEY EDET OTU, APC GUBERNATORIAL CANDIDATE, CROSS RIVER STATE.
Gentlemen of the press, we appreciate your role as the watchdog of the society and the Fourth Estate of the Realm, thank you for your altruistic posturing and for advancing facts and truth always.
It was with disappointment that Crossriverians watched Mr. Donald Duke at a consultative meeting in Calabar when he left ideological issues to disparage and caste aspersion on the person and office of the governor of Cross River State. Regrettably, at that meeting he made spurious and damaging allegations against the person of our Distinguished Governor, Prof Ben Ayade, we hope he will have the facts to proof his allegations in the court of law.
Ordinarily we would not be involved with Mr. Donald Duke’s sinking demeanor shown in his disdain for credibility. But we feel morally obligated to have this press conference to correct his untamed hatred for a performer and humanist as always portrayed by Sen. Ben Ayade. Interestingly, the governor stood like a rock for him when the Asset Management Company of Nigeria almost rendered Duke homeless in Lagos for loans collected to the tune of 500 million naira,
In profound solidarity, we stand with the governor who is the real unifying figure in Cross River State having braced all odds to ensure equity prevails for Southern Senatorial District. We also want to use this press conference to encourage the youths to rise up, stand strong and be counted in moments of furry against Senator Prof. Benedict Ayade who has come to open up opportunities for youths against the establishment for which Duke stands for.
In effect, this is indeed our moment to determine the next set of leaders at every level in our dear state, we also want to condemn in strong terms the ignoble actions of Mr. Donald Duke towards a sitting governor. Let it be on record that the office of the governor of our dear state symbolises our pride as a people, it symbolises our legitimacy under a democratically elected government and any attempt to disparage that office is an attempt to kill our spirit of statehood and undermine our God given heritage.
It is unfortunate that since the beginning of campaigns, Mr. Donald Duke seems delusional of the realities on ground in the state, of course how will he understand that the people have aligned themselves with the progressives when he spends most of his time in Rivers State.
Mr. Donald Duke seems depressed by his utterances, exuding an imminent failure syndrome, he has gone berserk and thrown caution into the winds with an untamed flippancy. However, Crossriverians know Mr. Donald Duke is not being altruistic as former governor in his vituperations. As a failed national politician, he is playing an egocentric politics if not why has he seen Sen. Ayade in a bad light just at this moment when he earlier eulogized his industrial revolution and innovation.
Mr. Duke’s speech was very undignifying, for he sunk so low to the abyss with invectives in a tout-like manner. We have it on good authority that Mr. Donald is playing a script by his sponsors to incite violence in the state that may lead to a breakdown of law and order, in order to paint a picture of insecurity in our dear State. But he would fail woefully. Mr. Donald Duke should be a man of integrity and honour, he should not speak from both sides of his mouth, he should water down his appetite for power and remember that those who live in glass houses should not throw stones.
We understand that part of Mr. Donald Duke’s anger against Sen. Ayade is his unwavering support for the “Back to South” Tsunami which is a genuine pro people aspiration that endears a spirit of shared responsibility and mutual trust in Cross River State.
It seems to us that Mr. Donald Duke wants to be the only governor that has come out from the Southern part of Cross River State. If not, how can we explain his outright disdain for equity.
Mr. Donald Duke to us is fighting against our collective resolve, that he wants the south to be out of power after sixteen years and counting is satanic and incomprehensible. Perhaps, while he pontificates about competence in the CRS political climate at the national he joined Governor Wike to fight for power rotation, what an irony.
Mr. Donald Duke is supporting someone other than Senator Otu because he knows Senator Otu’s performance as a Governor will outclass his eight years of assault on dissenting voices, poorly conceptualized projects and of course give him out as one who did not really do well for both the people of the South and Crossriverians in general. Mr. Duke cannot sustain friendship or sound relationship especially when he is not on the benefiting side, of course he has fallen out with all his known friends because of his unbearing greed and fake superiority complex, like he did to Senator Liyel, Sen Gershom Bassey he now wants to undermine HE Prof Ben Ayade in whose abode he hitherto went to drink “small stout” what a man.
Mr. Duke talks about Sen Ayade’s budgets and forgets that all his white elephant projects were dead even before his exit as a governor, his friend Senator Liyel who succeeded him laid empahssis to this, one who plunged the state into unbearable debt burden with his ego tripping projects.
If not that politics is a leveler how can a man whose certificate has remained questionable have the audacity to doubt HE Sen Professor Ben Ayade’s degrees, a Professor, a renowned environmentalist, one who has consulted for multi nationals, a lawyer called to the Nigerian Bar, a business man of international repute and a sitting Governor, this should necessitate a call for his (Dukes) proper medical examination.
Mr. Donald Duke has a propensity for wrong decisions, and as his friend Sen. Liyel described him as he has failed in everything after he left office as governor. He plays around every governorship aspirant or candidate who is ready to fruitlessly throw some money around, he prepares them for failure and after then retires back to eat from that deceit.
It is on record that Mr. Duke never wanted Sen. Liyel Imoke his friend yet he failed. The self-adulating pontiff also never wanted Sen Ben Ayade yet he failed. As a serial failure, he does not also want the very appealing and acceptable Ntufam Sen. Bassey Otu he will also fail, that is his sequence of failures and so we are not bothered about his failed succession expeditions.
Mr. Duke is using Sen. Ben Ayade as a smokescreen for indeed his real battle is against the young generation of active and politically conscious youths whom Prof. Ayade has brought from the gate house to the boardroom, he fears that with Sen. Otu’s consolidation on such strides, he would be made politically irrelevant.
Recall, that it was during the tenure of Mr. Duke that the conspiracy by both national and international conspirators was birth to sell off our oil Wells in the Bakassi peninsula and he therefore remains complicit, thankfully that decision has however not been rectified by the national assembly till date, and so we trust that the government of Ntufam Senator Bassey Otu will have a second look at the real issues surrounding this inhuman action,
As a group that is representative of a vast majority of politically active young people working with other youth groups and men of good conscience to engender democracy, we would do everything within our power to resist this assault on our psyche. We therefore urge Mr. Duke to forthwith desist from his puerile acts of ridiculing the esteemed office of the governor
We want to therefore use this medium to call the attention of all the security agencies and the international community that should there be any breakdown of law and order in the state Mr. Donald Duke should be held responsible, having left issue-based campaigns to attacking individuals in an infantile disposition because his unguarded utterances can degenerate into full scale chaos and anarchy.
Finally, we want to use this opportunity to officially endorse a man whose philosophy is anchored on service to humanity. Ntufam Senator Bassey Edet Otu as Governor of Cross River, this has become necessary considering his track records of performance, accessibility, youth friendly disposition capacity and his understanding of how institutions function as reflected in his time as a member, House of Representatives and the Senator representing the Southern senatorial district. Indeed, the reward for hard work is more work.
Signed: The Secretariat of Fusion 196, Cross River State. Monday, 30th January, 2023.
