Duke reportedly served as governor when political godfathers were majorly responsible for emergence of president, governors or any other political office holders.
He was widely celebrated for his achievements in the state, particularly the annual Calabar arnival, which has become a major source of revenue for the state.
Duke, who was guest speaker at a youth leadership summit in Abuja, at the weekend, challenged youths to quit emphasising obstacles on their way to dream fulfilment and champion the course that will herald unprecedented socio-economic revolution in Nigeria.
He said: “I took the courage to challenge the status quo in my state in 1999 and it was not an easy task for me, Liyel Imoke (my successor) and Bassey and other like-minds who were involved in the project. We begun and perfected our plans in Lagos before the 1999 elections.