By Christian Njoku
IKOM (CONVERSEER) – Residents of Ikom and Agbokim have expressed disappointment over Governor Bassey Otu’s abrupt cancellation of the 2025 edition of the Agbokim Green Marathon 48 hours before kickoff, citing unclear security concerns.
Speaking to some Local vendors on Friday at the Ikom Township Stadium, starting point of the marathon, they told journalists that the sudden cancellation crushed their expectations of festive-season sales.
It would be recalled that in a release signed by Prof. Anthony Owan-Enoh, Secretary to the State Government, on Thursday, the governor cancelled the marathon billed for 22nd November, citing security reasons.
Mr Stanley Ntangha, one of the vendors at the stadium, noted that they had stocked goods, booked spaces, and prepared for a business boom driven by visiting athletes and spectators, but the cancellation destroyed everything.
Ntangha said they didn’t understand the reason given by the governor because the area had remained peaceful, with no violent incidents recorded in sporting activities
“We are not happy because many of us have planned to come and do our businesses during the marathon, booked hotels, and booked stands, because we know there will be traffic.
“They only remember us in this part of Cross River when it is time for campaigns and elections now that it’s time for us to benefit it has been cancelled we are not happy”, he said
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Similarly, Mr Tasen Odima said he was surprised that the marathon was cancelled without any just cause, appealing to the state government to retain and allow the marathon to be held.
We have not asked the state government for money, we work and make money ourselves in a peaceful environment, so, using security as a reason for cancelling the marathon is not tenable
“Who will refund what we have invested in printing of banners, booking of hotels, paying for stalls? This is sad because the government is depriving us of benefits this season.
“There is a police station close to the stadium, and officers come here. We mingle with them and in the last few months, there has been no crisis whatsoever in Ikom. I don’t know where the issue of insecurity is coming from,” Odima said.
Athletes from Kenya, Ghana, Cameroon and across Nigeria expressed deep disappointment, saying they travelled long distances with high hopes of competing and improving their rankings and profiles.
On his part, Mr Bryan Dwomoh from Ghana and the Manager of two Kenyan athletes on the ground said the cancellation will affect the psychology of his athletes because they have prepared so much for the competition.
Dwomoh, who was from the All Nations Sports Academy in Kumasi, came with Florence Wachira and Kevin Nganga, noting that they spent three days on the road from Kumasi through Lagos to Calabar and were disappointed.
In his response, Mr Edem Udomiyang, Creator of the Agbokim Marathon, said his focus was on grassroots sports development, destination promotion, economic gains and Forest preservation.
Udomiyang said the marathon started in 2024 and is private sector-driven, with partners who have invested a lot in the 2025 edition of the international marathon.
He said that with the announcement, they have lost so much and even run the risk of losing their brand image because many of the private sector partners that supported them have pulled out.
“Our major challenge now is how to send the about 400 athletes, especially the international athletes, back, while some are still on the way, coming without knowing that the marathon has been cancelled. It is heartbreaking,” he revealed.
