A social media exchange between Kalita Igbe Aruku and Chief Orok Otu Duke, Cross River State’s Commissioner at the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), has stirred public discourse on the agency’s impact in the state NEGROIDHAVEN has garnered.
In a Facebook post dated January 16, 2025, Aruku questioned the performance of the NDDC especially in Cross River . He alleged that while other states benefited from substantial projects, Cross River was relegated to receiving and distributing rice, adding that the distribution seemingly prioritized politicians. Aruku also questioned the regional focus of NDDC interventions, asking if the commission’s projects were now exclusive to Southern Cross River State.
Aruku’s post read, in part: “Other states’ NDDC dey do better projects… e reach our turn na to share rice 1 month after Christmas and to Politicians only. Can Chief Orok Duke tell us one major project he has attracted to Cross River since he was nominated to NDDC? Is NDDC now just for Southern Cross River State?”
Chief Duke, responding to the allegations, dismissed the post as an “innuendo” and called for clarity in criticism. He explained that the rice distribution was part of a Federal Government initiative during the Yuletide season and that NDDC also provided rice to its nine-member states. While acknowledging that the consignment for Cross River arrived late, he stated that he ensured equitable distribution.
Duke further outlined various ongoing projects facilitated by the NDDC, including solar-powered streetlights, refuse bins, numerous road projects, and a major road project in Etung flagged off by the Minister of Niger Delta Affairs. He described the agency’s role as complementary to the state government’s efforts under Governor Bassey Otu, emphasizing that the NDDC is neither in competition nor contention with other stakeholders.
He concluded with a strong defense of the Governor’s administration, assuring that Governor Otu would complete his tenure effectively with the NDDC’s support.
