Probe illegal sales, politically motivated murders during Donald Duke’s tenure – Obono-Obla

Former presidential aide and spokesman of the APC campaign council in Cross River State, Okoi Obono-Obla has called on the state government to probe all the politically-motivated killings that took place during Mr Donald Duke’s government, from 1999-2007.

In a statement, he also called for a probe into the selling of 200 state-owned firms allegedly sold off to Duke’s friends when he was in power.

It would be recalled that a few days ago, the former governor said the incumbent Governor, Prof Ben Ayade sent him an SMS threatening to expose him for daring to use the governor as a political campaign topic for PDP.

Duke had said Ayade and his aides had disparaged him and he retaliated by disclosing at a PDP event that Ayade’s degrees and professorship are fake, even as his factories and other projects were fake.

Obono-Obla, in his statement, said “The state government must, as a matter of urgency order a fresh investigation of all unresolved politically motivated murders that took place in the State between 1999-2007 including Rev. Father Offiong, former deputy governor to Duke, H.E John Oyom Okpa, Barrister Eyo Okon Eyo, etc during the heydays when one of the oligarchs held sway. ”

He also advocated that the government investigate the burning down of the hotel belonging to His Excellency, Ambassador Akpang Obi Odu when Duke was in power.

He stated that a former Military Governor of the state late Brigadier General Udoka Jacob Esuene in 1967, with missionary zealotry, established more than 200 industries. He also incorporated the defunct Mercantile Bank but “Donald Duke, as governor, equally used missionary zealotry to sell all these industries, agricultural plantations, and the defunct Mercantile Bank to cronies and shell companies at giveaway prices.

“Till today no account was rendered on how much was realized from these sales. Today all these industries are moribund and the defunct Mercantile Bank was liquidated.”

He noted that the selling of the common patrimony of the People of Cross River State has deprived young people of the present generation of gainful employment in these industries, public enterprises, and plantations.

He called for the inauguration of a Judicial Commission of Inquiry to probe these dubious sales and those killings