While www.calitown.com had earlier reported that a contingent of youths in Obudu, North of Cross River State protested and kicked against the vending of fuel at a little above N270 a litre, insisting that fuel be sold at around N170 a litre, it appears, from investigations so far done that another face-off in Obudu is looming and this is authoritative.
Like in our previous story, the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria, IPMAN, Cross River State branch chairman, may be in the eye of the storm again. Larry Agim, our source in the area insists, who owns Agims Nig. Ltd, had instructed his station and a few others to sell fuel at N170 a litre when it was obvious that officials of the Department of Petroleum Resources, DPR, were visiting Obudu to ascertain the level of price compliance by fuel vendors. We gathered that shortly after the DPR officials left, Agim left instructions that the price be raised to N200 a litre, incurring the wrath of the youths. “We know what Larry is doing and we the youths are watching him. He will soon hear from us; the protest the other day was a tip of the iceberg. This is a man who habours intentions of contesting an election…we will remind him of all his mischievous acts especially now that he is orchestrating the extortion of our people”, our source maintains.
But some people from the area who have elected to remain anonymous because of the heated nature of this issue, told www.calitown.com that “while we do not support Agim’s action, the truth must again be told that he cannot buy his products at a high price and sell at a low price. Those youths have a right to insist that the correct thing must be reasonably done but they too must be reasonable so that in the end it will not be a clear case of Obudu people fighting against each other. Larry will be called to order and we will not have confusion reign”.