The Governor of Cross River State, Bassey Otu, has announced that his administration will resuscitate the once popular Obudu International Mountain race in November 2024.
The annual international race which usually drew international casts with top prizes usually won by runners from Ethiopia, Kenyan and Somalia became moribund during the eight-year reign of Ben Ayade as Governor of the state.
Speaking to journalists at a press briefing in Calabar on behalf of Governor Otu to reel out the activities for this year’s Calabar Carnival, the Commissioner for Tourism and Culture, Abubakar Ewa, said the governor has cleared every likely impediment that could stall the resumption of the mountain race.
He said, “As part of this year’s carnival, Gov Otu’s administration will resume the famous Obudu Mountain race.
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“We see the race as a critical part of the carnival. We have decided to resume the race but this time the East Africans will have to battle the top prizes with Nigerians.
“Effectively, we have cleared all the backlogs of debts, especially staff salaries. Nobody can say that we owe them. Government has paid over N200 million to offset debts owed by the resort.
“There were also contract staff. Those ones we have no business with. The 149 staff of the Obudu Mountain Resort have all been absorbed in the state civil service as a way of settling all debts owed them by the resort.”
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