‘I met huge debts’ – Ex-Gov Imoke blames Donald Duke over Cross River financial crisis

Former Cross River State governor, Liyel Imoke, says he inherited debts and contingent liabilities from his predecessor and presidential candidate of the Peoples Redemption Party, PRP, Donald Duke.

Imoke disclosed this on Wednesday while fielding questions in an interview on Arise Television’s Prime Time.

He was speaking on Tinapa Business and Leisure Resort, an integrated tourism and free trade zone facility located in Calabar, the state capital.

According to him, Tinapa cost every man, woman and child in Cross River State $170.

The former governor added that, as a state, his administration embarked on a commercial project with public funds.

He reiterated that a billion naira monthly was going towards servicing a debt, stating that until Duke left office, he did not pay any debts.

“I inherited debts and contingent liabilities from Donald Duke. There was no power supply to Tinapa on the day of commissioning. I had to bring in power.

“As a state government, we had no control over the dependencies for Tinapa to succeed.

“While the construction was ongoing, I thought it was a time when anchor tenants could have been procured. Empty buildings were commissioned.

“The commercial and economic environment for Tinapa to succeed was not put in place by Donald Duke,” he said.