20th May, 2011
The name of Mr John Odey, the Minister for Environment tops the list of ten names forwarded to President Goodluck Jonathan to occupy the ministerial slot
for Cross River State in the new cabinet to named by the President.
Other names on the list which are predominantly drawn from the Northern Senatorial District of the State include Mr Peter Ojei, the Deputy State Chairman of PDP who hails from  Mbube in Ogoja, Mrs Martina Odom, who is  from Ukele in Yala L G A, Senator Musa Adede from Obanlikwu and Agom Jaribe Agom  also from Ogoja.
The only name drafted from outside the northern senatorial district is Edem Duke, the former NNPC spokesman who is from Akpabuyo in the Southern Senatorial District of the state.
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 Edem Duke who contested the  PDP primaries for the Senatorial seat for the Southern district lost to Prince Bassey Otu who eventually won.
Listing his name in the ministerial list may be to compensate him for his tireless work as the chairman of the Publicity Committee during the campaign for the election.Â
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In spite of losing the PDP primaries, he stuck to the party while other
senatorial contenders under the PDP like Eyo Etim Nyong and Patrick Iwara left for the ACN.
 Duke headed the party’s publicity during the elction.
Sources say Imoke sent ten names just to be on the safe side and to give the impression to those lobbying to be ministers that he sent their names for consideration but  not responsible for their being rejected.
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 “The governor knows who he wants but to free himself from accusation of partiality, he decided to send the names of those who have been on his neck to the president, after all at the end of the day, only one person will be picked,†a source told our correspondent.
Mr Omini Oden, the Chief Press Secretary to Imoke, said he was not aware of “any names being sent to the President by the governor to be appointed as ministers.
Ensure your sources are correct to avoid misinforming the public,†he said when P.M.NEWS asked to comment on the list.
By Emma Una/ Calabar