By Ukorebi Esien
Governor Bassey Edet Otu of Cross River State made a significant governance decision that will be remembered as a pivotal moment. Governor Otu, known for his sophistication and pragmatism, took his time to announce appointments for various vacant offices in the state. Those familiar with him understood that he was diligently selecting competent individuals for the roles.
The appointment of Pastor Bong Duke as the CEO of the State Planning Commission stands as evidence of Governor Otu’s foresight and commitment to the state’s well-being. Duke is not just a square peg in a square hole; he is a perfect fit for the job. Once again, Governor Otu has demonstrated his readiness to elevate Cross River State to become the premier destination in Africa.
Pastor Dr Bong Duke, an accomplished professional with a diverse background spanning strategic planning, ICT, and international consultancy, brings over 25 years of experience in various sectors, serving in key roles within Cross River State administrations, and has been appointed as the Vice Chairman and CEO of the Cross River State Planning Commission by Governor Sen. Prince Bassey Edet Otu.
Below is a brief Profile of Pastor Dr Bong Duke. This will indeed prove to you why Duke is a perfect fit for his new role.
Brief Profile of Pastor Dr Bong Duke
He is an alumnus of Kookmin University, Seoul, South Korea, where he studied Strategic Planning and Economic Development Strategies; In his early years, he studied Geology at the University of Calabar, Nigeria; He Studied Economics at Post Graduate Level at the University of Calabar, Nigeria; Bong Duke is a celebrated awardee of Doctorate in Divinity at Zoe Life Institute, Philadelphia, USA; In Information and Communication Technologies, he studied Oracle Database Administration, CompTIA A+, Microsoft Suites, and Network Engineering all at NIIT in South Africa and Nigeria; In Projects and Programmes Management, He is a Prince2 Certified Projects Manager, and an alumnus of Impetus, Dubai – United Arab Emirates, and he is certified by the British Office of Government Commerce through the APMG.
His core areas of competencies include Strategic Innovation and Development Planning; Policy Formulation and Governance; Collaboration and Alliance Building; Business Development (Public and Private Sector); Political Economy and Africa Business Environment; Strategic Communications; Supportive Supervision and Grants Management; Monitoring and Evaluation; Projects Management (Prince2 Certified Project Manager); Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs); Research and Data Management.
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He has over 25 years of experience working in diverse sectors, he has served in several Government Administrations in Cross River State, working closely with the Governors.
He served as the CEO of Donald Duke Vendors, during the Administration of Governor Donald Duke. He served as Personal Assistant to Governor Liyel Imoke on ICT Development for four (4) years, Special Assistant to Governor Liyel Imoke on Strategic Planning for another four (4) years; Technical Consultant to Duchdorbon® in charge of ICT Infrastructural Development for the Government of Rivers State of Nigeria, Port Harcourt, Nigeria, technically supporting the Governor of Rivers State on ICT Development; Technical Consultant (Data Management) to the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) in Geneva – Switzerland, executing projects in Namibia, Togo, Mali, Kenya, South Africa and Nigeria; National Investment Consultant to DFID on the Organization for Economic Development’s (OECD) Policy Framework for Investment (PFI) toolkit in Cross River State; International Consultant to the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) on Research and Data Management, in Guinea Bissau; Work-Flow Management Consultant to the Presidency, National Commission for Refugees, Migrants and Internally Displaced Persons in Nigeria, Abuja – Nigeria; He worked as an International Consultant on the End Project Evaluation of Enhancing Women Workers’ Access to Market (EWAM) in Pakistan, funded by the Embassy of Netherlands.
Bong Duke served as a Special Adviser to the Government of Cross River State on eCommerce between January 2020 and May 2023 in the Administration of Governor Ben Ayade. Bong Duke is well endowed with knowledge of Cross River State Governance.
Bong Duke was Deputy Secretary and Head of the Secretariat of the Cross River State Transition Reports Review Committee 2023, and a major contributor to the People-First Governance Blue Print of Governor Prince Bassey Otu.
By its enabling law, the Cross River State Planning Commission has the Governor as Chairman, and Bong Duke has been appointed by His Excellency, Sen. Prince Bassey Edet Otu as the Vice Chairman and CEO of the Planning Commission, with the responsibility of having the best articulated and impactful socio-economic development plans that would drive and achieve the People-First Mandate and Vision of the State through Innovation and full implementation of e-Governance by 2027. And To be effective and efficient in the monitoring and management of strategic policies and programmes through the injection of new ideas for the realisation of the State Vision for 2027 per the People-First Strategy of the Administration.
