- * Describes Her As 'Courtesan' (Prostitute) In Her Political And Business Dealings!
'You're Insulting Me, Efik Women, Our Bakassi People And Kingdom'...Ita-Giwa Tells Donald Duke
Duke Replies: You Are Neither Efik Nor of C/River Origin, Just An Ingrate; You said I'm Poor, Not a Man!
By Celestine Okafor (Editor-in-chief )
Political bickering, personal interest intrigues and outright name-calling, seem to have put a sharp knife through the bowel of a once-existing chummy relationship between the comely former governor of Cross River state, Donald Duke and his 'big aunt' cum politician and city socialite, Senator Florence Ita-Giwa.
Duke, a Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Chieftain, this Tuesday, took Senator Ita-Giwa, an All Progressive Congress (APC) Chieftain to the cleaners, over what the ex-governor described as recent 'aspersions of madam Florence Ita-Giwa, on my person'.
According to Donald Duke in his written statement, Ita-Giwa was allegedly livid with Duke for ignoring to invite her to a political conclave he had summoned earlier last year (2022) which held at his (Duke') residence, to harmonize southern aspirants under the platform of the PDP.
Duke stated that, "I apologized to her, but made it clear she did not qualify to attend, as 1. She’s not a member of the PDP and 2, although she bears the honorific title of “Eka Iban”, in the strict sense, she’s neither Efik nor of southern Cross River origin. (She’s paternally from Atabong in Akwa Ibom State and maternally from Umuahia in Abia State).
Duke said, notwithstanding that Senator Flora Ita-Giwa "scoffed" at that political meeting he had summoned, he still acknowledged the fact that "she has served Cross River State, her State of residence, diligently to the acknowledgment of all, Mma Floxy has also served Nigeria well.
"At the onset of the Nigerian civil war in 1967, when I was barely 6 years old, she was already serving at the front lines. She was one of the few brave ladies reverentially referred to as the ‘Commando Girls’ for their exploits and services in times of a national crisis. Thereafter, she’s been in the front lines of business and societal struggles, in Abuja, Lagos and of course Cross River State. Her resume in this regard is wholesome.
"She has represented Cross River State at the Federal House of Representatives and the Nigerian Senate. She has been a Special Adviser to the President and has diligently carried out several responsibilities most of which remain classified".
But Duke revealed that what riled him most about the alleged vituperations and attacks by Ita-Giwa was that she allegedly "queried my gender, frankly, I’m pleased she’s not in a position to confirm as that would have been sacrilegious, but I am indeed a proud father of 3 biological children".
Duke said he was equally rankled by Florence Ita-Giwa's alleged claim that he (Duke) was a poor dude before he became governor of Cross River state. "On the issue of me being indigent prior to being elected governor, I needn’t remind her or anyone of my pedigree and that I self sponsored my elections even at that time of political uncertainty".
Duke said the perceived uncomplimentary remarks allegedly made against him by Florence Ita-Giwa, was despite the good gestures and personal sacrifices he had made to the former wife of the slain Editor-in-chief of Newswatch magazine, Mr Dele Giwa, who was assassinated on Sunday, October 19, 1986, through a parcel bomb delivered by yet unknown persons (37 years after), at his 25A Talabi Street residence, Off Adeniyi Jones, Ikeja, Lagos, during the military government of General Ibrahim Babangida.
Duke said he still forgave Ita-Giwa's alleged transgressions against him because of their old time cordial relationship sake and more because his respect for her age and seniority to him. "On a personal note, I stood in as her person of contact when she did liposuction, breast implant and upliftment, so I consider her somewhat of an aunt, a next of kin".
Medically, however, Liposuction is a surgical undertaking that uses a suction technique to remove fat from specific areas of the body, such as the buttocks, hips, abdomen, thighs, neck and arms, especially to enhance body looks and maintain attractive physical package.
This surgical exercise and breast implant and upliftment, mostly with the aid of a silicon, is often popular among female and male celebrities, worldly socialites, wealthy women, including wives and concubines of rich persons.
An angry Donald Duke continued. “In human interactions, two factors are sacrosanct, age and authority and even more so in the African context. On both counts, Mma Florence is my senior. Indeed, if she were family, she would qualify as my late 94-year-old mother’s immediate junior sister, as none of my aunties are anywhere near her age and I don’t take that lightly.
“I recall a former federal minister, telling me that when he started secondary school at Lagos in 1952, Mma Florence the same year commenced training as an auxiliary nurse at Aba. Indeed, Mma Floxy as I fondly and respectfully call her, had aspired and contested the Ms. Nigeria pageant, while I was still a foetus, (she contested in April 1961 and I was born much later in September of the same year)".
In a somewhat subtle undressing or exposition of the character and hidden lifestyle of the big aunt (Senator Florence Ita-Giwa), Duke quipped that: "Contrarily, Mma Floxy, has been known to be courtesan in her political and business dealings". A Courtesan as referred to Ita-Giwa by Duke, is simply a prostitute, especially one with wealthy or upper-class clients.
Duke remarked that, "All said, it will be a betrayal of my upbringing to be abusive or cast aspersions on such a personage. Politics should never be a platform that denigrates the ethos of respect to our elders. Thank You", Donald stated.
Meanwhile, Senator Florence Ita-Giwa, fondly called 'Mama Bakassi' (she claims indigene of Bakassi Peninsula in Southern Cross River state, South South Nigeria, and had indeed championed their cause), had stirred the hornet nest, when in May 2022, she fired the initial broadsides on the former governor of her state, Donald Duke.
Florence, in an angry outburst for not being invited by Duke to the said political meeting he allegedly called in his home to harmonize the PDP Cross River Southern aspirants, allegedly lampooned Duke for not extending an invitation to for the PDP meeting.
Ita-Giwa was quoted as saying that, “When the destiny and political future of an entire ethnic nationality is to be deliberated upon, it requires that partisanship and chauvinistic sentiments be set aside. All shades of opinion and all tendencies have to be given the space to find expression.
"The recent so-called non partisan consultation convened by H.E Donald Duke ostensibly to deliberate on governorship power shift to the south and possibility of coming up with a consensus Governorship candidate might have been commendable but for the fact that it was clearly not all inclusive.
“How such an assembly can be called without my involvement and participation is downright insulting not just to my person but the Efik Kingdom of which I represent in my capacity as Mother of the women in the Kingdom.
“It also demonstrates utter disregard for the women of the Southern Senatorial Zone of who by the grace of God, I am a leading light of. Even as the matter can be said to be of a political nature, with all modesty I make bold to say that I parade the most impressive political portfolio of all political actors in the zone", Ita-Giwa fumed. NNL.
