By Frank Ulom
CALABAR (CONVERSEER) – The Commissioner representing Cross River State in the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) Board, Rt. Hon. (Otuekong) Orok Otu Duke PhD, has joined family, friends, and sympathisers to pay his last respects to the late Mr Eyo Edem Duke, who was laid to rest after a funeral service in Calabar.
The deceased, fondly referred to as Etinyin by loved ones, passed on at the age of 52 after a brief illness.
He was described as a disciplinarian, devoted husband, father, and pillar of strength to both his maternal and paternal families. Until his death, he was known for his integrity, humility, and deep sense of humour, traits that endeared him to all who encountered him.
Rt. Hon. Duke, who stood in solidarity with the bereaved family, commiserated with them over the painful loss and prayed for God’s comfort and strength to carry them through this difficult period.
He emphasised that the passing of Eyo Duke was not only a loss to his immediate family but to the larger Akpabuyo community and the state at large, given his contributions as a self-employed manager and community figure.
It is noteworthy that the Duke family is a prominent household in Cross River, with the third generation of the Joe/Victor Duke family currently headed by Etinyin Bassey Otu Duke, under whose leadership the family continues to uphold its values of unity, service, and legacy.
The funeral service, held at the African Church Cathedral of Christ, MacDonald Street, Calabar, where the late Duke was baptised and confirmed, drew a large turnout of mourners, including family members, friends, colleagues, and well-wishers. Tributes poured in, eulogising him as a man of peace, discipline, and enduring legacy.
Mr Eyo Edem Duke is survived by his wife, brothers, sisters, cousins, nephews, nieces, in-laws, and a host of relatives
