Farouk Ahmed says he never authorised any response to allegations, welcomes formal investigation to clear his name…
The Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA), Farouk Ahmed, has distanced himself from a statement circulating on social media in response to allegations made against him by the President of the Dangote Group, Aliko Dangote.
Ahmed, in a brief statement made available to Journalists on Wednesday, said he did not issue or authorise the viral response attributed to him, describing it as false.
The denial follows comments made by Dangote during a press briefing at the Dangote Petroleum Refinery in Lekki, Lagos, on Sunday, where he called for a comprehensive investigation into Ahmed’s financial dealings. Dangote specifically urged the NMDPRA boss to appear before the Code of Conduct Tribunal to publicly explain the source of funds used to educate his children abroad.
Dangote alleged that the cost of secondary education for four of Ahmed’s children, spanning six years, amounted to about $5 million, a figure he said raised serious concerns.
“I’ve actually had people making complaints about a regulator who has actually put his children in secondary school. And that secondary school education, which is six years, four of them cost Nigeria $5m. You cannot imagine somebody paying $5m for educating four children,” Dangote said.
Following the remarks, Dangote formally petitioned the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), asking the anti-graft agency to investigate Ahmed’s financial activities. He further alleged that some regulatory decisions by the NMDPRA leadership amounted to economic sabotage capable of eroding public confidence and discouraging investors, particularly in relation to the issuance of fuel importation licences.
On Tuesday, a statement purportedly signed by Ahmed surfaced online, responding to the allegations. However, the NMDPRA management said the statement was not genuine.
Speaking on the development, Ahmed reiterated that the viral statement did not come from him and said he had deliberately refrained from engaging in public exchanges over the matter.
“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,” Ahmed said.
He acknowledged awareness of the allegations against him and his family but maintained that, as the head of a sensitive regulatory agency, he chose not to engage in public disputes.
“While I am aware of the wild and spurious allegations made against me and my family and the frenzy it has generated, I have opted not to engage in public brickbats,” he added.
Ahmed expressed confidence in the ICPC investigation, saying the decision to take the matter before a formal investigative body would allow the issues to be examined objectively.
“Thankfully, the person behind the allegations has taken it to a formal investigative institution. I believe that would provide an opportunity to dispassionately distil the issues and to clear my name,” he said.
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