Cross River State is set to recognise four former civilian governors at the annual Christmas tree-lighting ceremony on November 30, 2025, which marks the official kickoff of the month-long Carnival Calabar.
The unprecedented gesture was approved by Governor Bassey Otu.
Those to be honoured include Dr. Clement Ebri, Mr. Donald Duke, Senator Liyel Imoke, and Professor Ben Ayade, who will be presented with the state’s highest Merit Honour for Leadership during the event.
The event will usher in the 20th anniversary celebrations of the Carnival Calabar.
The ex-governors will have their names and statues permanently mounted on the Walls of Heroes at Millennium Park. They will also be presented with 24-carat gold Star Medals and other symbols of leadership excellence.
Each of the honourees is credited with notable contributions to the state’s growth— from Ebri’s stabilising leadership during the Third Republic, Duke’s tourism transformation, and Imoke’s infrastructure and social reforms, to Ayade’s industrialisation drive.
Their collective legacies form significant chapters in Cross River’s political and developmental history.
