Duke’s Acquisition Of CRSG Assets Fraudulent – THEWILL Investigation

PHOTO: THE FORMER GOVERNOR WITH QUESTIONABLE CRSG ASSETS IN HIS POSSESSION, MR DONALD DUKE. Image: DUKE'S FACEBOOK PAGE.

San Francisco, June 20, (THEWILL) – Did Donald Duke fraudulently acquire Cross River State Government assets while he served as governor of the state from 1999 -2007?

This was what THEWILL set out to investigate recently and there is overwhelming evidence that DD as he is fondly called by his supporters robbed the people of Cross River State when he converted two Cross River State Government properties (these were the ones we could link directly to him) for his personal use.

THEWILL’s findings into Duke’s questionable disposal of state government assets while he was governor revealed that the state government owned former party office of the proscribed National Republican Convention (NRC) on Murtala Muhammed Highway, Calabar, which currently houses Mrs. Onari Duke’s Women and Children Hospital and the former Nigerian Union of Journalists Press Centre, Diamond Hill, Calabar, which the former governor currently calls his Calabar residence, were usurped by Duke. These choice assets are worth tens of millions of naira.

There are also others such as a hotel property off Marian Extension Road in Calabar bought with state government funds as a government hotel from the family of Mr. Mike Archibong but which has curiously become a privately owned hotel awaiting opening anytime soon.

The Cross River State House on Military Street, Onikan Lagos is another property that caught our attention. Mr. Duke mortgaged this property to a Nigerian bank for N400 million naira loan, which was immediately paid back by the state in a transaction shrouded in secrecy.

That Duke sold off a lot of government assets in the guise of raising funds for the state is no longer news, what is news however is that most of the properties sold especially the residential houses in Calabar were sold to cronies and associates of his wife, Onari completely ignoring government’s owner occupier policy.

Some indigenes however are not letting Mr. Duke get off so easily with his loot. There has been public outcry over Duke’s criminal acquisition of public properties amongst Cross Riverians. A former governorship candidate in the state during the last election, Mr. James Ebri, the younger brother of former governor of the state, Mr. Clement Ebri, has gone to court to challenge Duke’s takeover of the former NRC party office.

Also joined in Mr. Ebri’s suit are the Cross River State Government, State Attorney General, Commissioner for Lands and the Commissioner for Justice.

Justice E. O Eneji of the State High Court after listening to arguments granted an order "that an interim order shall and is hereby granted restraining the defendants/respondents from commissioning, inaugurating and opening of the Calabar Women and Children’s Hospital (CWCH) by any person whosoever, scheduled to hold on 28th May, 2010, at the Movie theatre, Calabar Women and Children’s Hospital, Cross River State or any other day pending the determination of the Motion on Notice."

THEWILL’s extensive checks at the Ministry of Lands, office of the Secretary to the State Government and the State Attorney General’s office revealed that Mr. Duke’s claim that the former NRC office was leased for a period of 25 years is bogus and an after thought to disguise the facts because there are no documents to show that the property was leased or sold to Child Survival and Development Organization, the agency in which the hospital is registered.

Mr. Duke’s saving grace we learnt is Governor Liyel Imoke’s reluctance to probe the shameful conduct of the former governor. Mr. Duke, Governor Imoke and Mr. Geshom Bassey have been very close for several years, in fact, their closeness earned them the famous title ‘The Three Wisemen’ of Calabar.

But with the current revelations regarding Duke’s conduct as governor and pressures from Cross Riverians on Imoke to prosecute his estranged friend, he may be forced to have a re-think.

Donald is currently putting his machinery together to run for the office of President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria after dumping his former political party, the Peoples Democratic Party.

We accosted Mr. Duke with our findings but he refused to take our calls nor respond to text messages. His press office in a statement on behalf of Duke and his wife, Onari said the Dukes’ have done no wrong.

"The NRC Secretariat was secured on a 25-year lease with payment made to the Ministry of Lands. I have that confirmation from Mr. and Mrs. Duke. Hopefully, on account of the urgency, I would see that it is done as soon as she returns from her trip abroad.

"I　have it on good record from Mr. Duke that the NUJ place was bought and paid for by a company　whose　identity　he could not readily　remember at press time. However with the certainty exuded by Mr. Duke, it is　without doubt that the transaction would be verifiable and well documented with the Ministries of Land and Justice.

"The last but not the least hotel property along Marian Road was bought by the Chinese company, CECC in a transaction brokered by the Ministry of Justice. Again, relevant information and documents regarding this transaction can be gotten from the Ministry of Justice which adjudicated in the Mike Archibong's family feud　as it related to administration of the property.

"With the assistance of the family lawyer, the ministry was reported to have　helped in sealing the deal to effect the sale to CECC. Just like Metropolitan Hotel allegedly bought by Duke and which　is now being bought over by the Hilton, the alleged hotel has been sold by CECC to Jimoh Ibrahim," the statement said.

The author however cleverly sidestepped adding that the former NUJ Diamond Hill Press Centre which Mr. Duke claims was bought by a company "whose　identity　he could not readily　remember at press time" is actually the Calabar residence of Mr. and Mrs. Donald Duke.

When we confronted Mr. Duke’s press office with this finding in an email they just went blank. There has been no communication from them since this revelation.

The fact remains that Mr. Duke used his office as governor to usurp assets belonging to the people of Cross River State in order to satisfy his lust for real estate assets.

We have waited patiently for more than three weeks for the Dukes to send us documents that they claim they have to prove their innocence as promised. The documents are yet to surface.

Mr. Duke is known to have mind-blowing real estate assets on highbrow Temple and Gerard Roads in Ikoyi amongst others, which were acquired either while he was governor or just after he left office.

Multiple sources in Calabar told THEWILL that the Tinapa project which was a cash cow for Mr. Duke while he was governor of the state is currently depleting the state government’s monthly allocation from the federal government as over N300 million naira is deducted from source monthly to service the huge loan his administration embarked upon to execute the project.

More to follow soon.