Ahmed Farouk, CEO of the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA), has described as as “wild and spurious” the corruption allegations levelled against him and his family by the Chairman of the Dangote Group, Aliko Dangote.
Ahmed, in a disclaimer, according to Channels Television, noted that he would rather wait to defend himself in the presence of a formal investigative body, rather than engage in public “brickbat” with the entrepreneur.
“My attention has been drawn to a purported response I was said to have made on the recent allegations against my person.
“I hereby state categorically that the so-called statement did not emanate from me.
“While I am aware of the wild and spurious allegations made against me and my family and the frenzy it has generated, as a regulator of a sensitive industry, I have opted not to engage in public brickbat.
“Thankfully, the person behind the allegations has taken it to a formal investigative institution. I believe that would provide an opportunity to dispassionately distill the issues and to clear my name”, Ahmed’s statement read.
On Sunday, Africa’s richest man accused Ahmed of economic sabotage, which he said was undermining domestic refining in Nigeria.
The dispute between Dangote and Ahmed dates back to July 2024, when the NMDPRA CEO said local refineries, including the Dangote refinery, produce inferior products compared to those imported into the country.
Dangote denied the allegations by testing diesel from his refinery during an oversight visit by federal lawmakers to the plant.
‘Tell Nigerians your source of wealth’
More than one year later, the industrialist wrote to the Independent Corrupt Practices and other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), alleging corruption on the part of Ahmed.
The President and Chief Executive of Dangote Industries Limited claimed Ahmed was living beyond his legitimate means, claiming that four of his children attend secondary schools in Switzerland at costs running into several million dollars.
He said such expenditure raised serious questions about potential conflict of interest and the integrity of regulatory oversight in the downstream petroleum sector.
Dangote asked the anti-graft agency to probe the NMDPRA boss.
“I’ve had people actually complaining about a regulator who put his children in secondary school, and that secondary school education, which is six years, four of them cost Nigeria five million dollars,” he said at a press conference at the Dangote Refinery in the Ibekku-Lekki area of Lagos State.
“My children went to secondary school in Nigeria. They did not go outside Nigeria to attend secondary school.”
On Tuesday, Dangote published details of the allegations in a national daily and hours later formally petitioned the NMDPRA chief.
The Dangote Refinery boss said, “Nigerians deserve to know the source(s) of these sums of money paid by a public officer while many parents in his home state of Sokoto cannot afford to pay N10,000 school fees for their children and wards”.
He accused the agency of frustrating efforts to improve local refining, especially with the continued issuance of importing licenses.
Petition To ICPC
In the petition submitted on December 16, through his lawyer, Ogwu Onoja (SAN), Dangote demanded the arrest, investigation, and prosecution of Ahmed for allegedly living above his means as a public servant.
According to the petition received by the office of the Chairman of the ICPC, Musa Aliyu (SAN), the Dangote Group Chairman specifically accused the NMDPRA boss of spending, without evidence of lawful means, of income amounting to over $7 million for the education of his four children in different schools in Switzerland for a period of six years upfront.
In the petition, Dangote listed the children and their schools in Switzerland, including the amount paid for each of them to establish his allegations and verification by the anti-graft agency.
He alleged that Ahmed was using the instrumentality of the NMDPRA to embezzle and divert public funds for self-gain and the pursuit of private interest to the detriment of the Nigerian people, which orchestrated uproar and protest by different groups recently.
Dangote claimed that the NMDPRA boss, throughout his lifetime as an adult, worked in the public sector in Nigeria and that the totality of his earnings over the years was nothing close to $7 million.
The entrepreneur said the money was allegedly diverted from the public coffers to pay for the education of his teenage children abroad.
Dangote’s petition to the ICPC further said, “It is without doubt that the above facts in relation to abuse of office, breach of Code of Conduct for public officers, Corrupt enrichment, embezzlement are gross Act of corrupt practices for which your Commission (ICPC) is statutorily empowered under section 19, of the ICPC Act to investigate and prosecute,” Dangote said.
“Upon a successful prosecution of such a person, under section 19, of the ICPC Act, the person is liable to imprisonment for five years without an option of fine.
“We make bold to state that the ICPC is strategically positioned along the sister agencies to, prosecute financial crimes and other corruption related offences, and upon establishing a prima facie case, the Courts do not hesitate to punish offenders.
“In view of the above, we call on the Commission under your leadership to investigate the complaint of abuse of office and corruption against Engr Farouk Ahmed and to accordingly, prosecute him if found wanting.
“We have no reservation that, being a matter that is in the public domain, the Commission will not close its eyes to it but act decisively to ensure that justice is done and the good image of the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, is protected.”
Dangote vowed to be on ground to proffer evidence in proof of his allegations of corrupt enrichment, abuse of office, against Ahmed.
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