By Frank Ulom
CALABAR (CONVERSEER) – The Cross River State Representative on the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) Board, Rt. Hon. Orok Duke, PhD, on Saturday, joined other dignitaries at the wedding ceremony of Francis Edem Bassey, son of Governor Bassey Edet Otu.
The colourful event, held at the Sacred Heart Cathedral, Egerton, Calabar, witnessed the exchange of vows between Francis and his bride, Sylvia Ekpenyong Oku-Ita, in the presence of family members, friends, and well-wishers.

Speaking with newsmen on the sidelines of the ceremony, Duke congratulated the couple and described marriage as a divine institution that forms the foundation of a stable society.
“Marriage is a sacred institution and the bedrock of any successful society. I join Their Excellencies, Governor Bassey Edet Otu and his beloved wife in celebrating this beautiful union,” he said.

The NDDC Board member prayed for the couple, wishing them a life filled with peace, joy, and prosperity. “May their new home be a perpetual wellspring of joy, peace, and prosperity. We pray for God’s guidance as the couple embarks on this exciting new chapter together,” he added.
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Duke also commended Governor Otu’s leadership style, particularly the application of his ‘four Rs’ policy – Reconciliation, Rehabilitation, Reconstruction, and Repositioning – which he said has continued to shape the direction of governance in Cross River State.
He reaffirmed his readiness to work closely with the state government to promote the interests of Cross River within the Niger Delta interventionist agency.
