By Emma Una, Calabar

COLD blood between Senator Liyel Imoke the immediate past governor of Cross River State and his predecessor, Mr Donald Duke were glaring on Friday at the International Conference Centre venue of the inauguration of Senator Ben Ayade where Imoke conspicuously left out Duke’s name in his list of recognition of dignitaries before delivering his valedictory speech.

Imoke

Duke who came in with his wife, Onari from his Lagos base sat at the far corner of the hall   a distance away from Imoke and his wife Obioma to observe the proceedings. While acknowledging cheers from his friends and crowd who were obviously excited with his presence and after the event he simply walked off with his entourage without going over to share pleasantries with Imoke.

The event which held at the International Conference Centre Calabar went on smoothly and attracted a mammoth crowd which cheered endlessly for the new governor, Senator Ben Ayade while delivering his inaugural speech in which he promised to set in motion a process for the realization of a new Cross River.

“We are witnessing the rise of a rainbow which marks the pollination of our metaphorical petals and the flinging open of the floodgate of possibilities, prosperity and I therefore urge you to look inwards and envision the future of our dear state and the role we must all play to make it a better place”

He called on the people of the state to dream big because one can only be as big as his imagination and the state has “come to that bend in the river where we must all rise to our full height to envision and carve out a better future for ourselves and posterity”.