Cross River: Sen Ekpenyong, Duke Fight Dirty Over ₦100m NDDC Yuletide Largesse To 50 Groups
By Ekanem Asuquo
THE cold war seems to be continuing in Calabar metropolis as Sen. Asuquo Ekpenyong and Hon. Orok Duke have engaged in tacit war of words over the disbursement of NDDC N100m meant for 50 groups in Cross River state.
Sen Ekpenyong, representing Cross River south senatorial district and chairman, Senate Committee on NDDC, Orok Duke is the Cross River State Commissioner, representing the state in the Board.
While Asuquo's loyalists are accusing Orok Duke of submitting names of his associates as beneficiaries for the N100m largesse meant for 50 groups in Cross River state, Orok countered that Ekpenyong allegedly hijacked the sharing arrangements to his favour.
This has led to media war between the duo and the circulation of lists of benefiting groups, fuelling political rivalry among the political elites in Cross River senatorial district.
Checks by THE BEAGLE NEWS showed NDDC during the 2024 Yuletide distributed ₦100m each to all NDDC states which was meant for 50 groups in each of the state.
In Cross River state, nothing was heard about the scheme during the Yuletide until last weekend where a purported list of 10 groups meant to benefit from the scheme surfaced on social media platforms.
The group mentioned included The Emancipation Voices, Tinkoriko Women, Tinkoriko Calabar Heritage, Generation Foundation, Mbre Ikwono Iban, Calabar Heritage Mobilization, Youths Vanguard for Niger Delta Development, Independent Oil Protection Youths Frontiers, Youths Movement Initiative and Calabar South Youths Emancipation.
Political pundits and commentators, however, accused the Cross River state NDDC representative Rt. Hon. Orok Duke of sponsoring the list of benefiting groups as some of the groups listed are connected to the NDDC state Rep.
Responding to the accusation via a press release, the state NDDC Rep Rt. Hon. Orok Duke distanced himself from the purported list, accusing the Senator representing Cross River Southern senatorial district Senator Asuquo Ekpenyong who is also the chairman senate committee on NDDC of hijacking the ₦100 Million meant for groups in Cross River state as well as the empowerment process.
The release, which was signed by the NDDC Rep, reads in part: “My attention has been drawn to a list making the rounds, purportedly showing beneficiaries I allegedly shortlisted for the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) Christmas Bonus for groups in Cross River State.
"I want to categorically state that the list is false and did not originate from me or my office.
“The Commission had earmarked ₦100 million for distribution to 50 groups in Cross River State, with each group expected to receive ₦2 million. Unfortunately, this project was hijacked by the Senator representing the Southern Senatorial District, Senator Asuquo Ekpenyong, who took control of the fund s without consulting me as the state representative.
"For the records, Senator Asuquo Ekpenyong is currently keeping the ₦100 million released by the NDDC for youths and women across the three senatorial zones of Cross River State.
“I want to emphasise that the list being circulated is fake, and I strongly urge those responsible to desist from such political manipulation. For transparency, I challenge the publishers of the list to make public the details of the 50 groups that were supposed to benefit from the project.
“This fund was meant to benefit 50 groups across all three senatorial districts of Cross River State, and it was to come through my office for proper coordination. It is not a Southern Senatorial District project; it is for the entire state.
“I also want to clarify that while two of the groups on the list being circulated are affiliated with a cultural organization I coordinate, I did not submit their names, nor did I authorize the publication of that list” he clarified.
It could be recalled that in December 2023, the same issue came up between the state NDDC Rep and Asuquo Ekpeyong bothering on which group benefits from the largess with Orok accused of submitting a list of groups only affiliated to him to benefit from the largess.
