Dangote’s petition, opportunity to clear my name – NMDPRA’s boss Farouk Ahmed

By Ayorinde Oluokun/Abuja

Farouk Ahmed, the chief executive officer of the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) has said the petition filed against him by the Chairman of Dangote group, Aliko Dangote and submitted to the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Offences Commission, ICPC is an opportunity to clar his name.

Ahmed said this while disowning a statement purported to be his his response to the allegationS on Wednesday as reported by Premium Times.

But he said he is aware of the allegation by Dangote and his family and the uproar it is generating in the media, he has chosen to not respond to them and will instead allow the probe by the ICPC.

He nevertheless described the allegations against him in the petition by Dangote as published in the media as “wild and spurious”

Ahmed added that the formal investigation would give him an opportunity to dispassionately distill the issues and clear his name.

“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 said.

Inside Dangote’s petition against Ahmed

Dangote had in a petition submitted through his lawyer, Ogwu Onoja, SAN, called on the ICPC to arrest, investigate and prosecute the NMDPRA boss for allegedly living far beyond his legitimate means as a public servant.

In the petition, the billionaire businessman accused Ahmed of spending more than seven million dollars on the education of his four children in Switzerland.

He alleged that Farouk paid upfront for a six-month period, without any lawful source of income to justify such expenditure.

He also listed the four children, the Swiss schools they attend, the amount paid for each of them, to enable the ICPC to verify the claims.

Dangote alleged that Ahmed used the instrumentality of the NMDPRA to embezzle and divert public funds for personal gain and private interests, an action he said has fuelled public outrage and recent protests by various groups.

He said Ahmed who has spent his entire adult working life in the Nigerian public sector and could not, based on his legitimate earnings over the years, have accumulated funds close to the alleged seven million dollars used to finance his children’s education abroad.

“It is without doubt that the above facts in relation to abuse of office, breach of the Code of Conduct for public officers, corrupt enrichment and embezzlement are gross acts of corrupt practices for which your Commission is statutorily empowered under Section 19 of the ICPC Act to investigate and prosecute,” Dangote said.

The Dangote group boss noted that upon successful prosecution under the same provision of the law, the offence attracts a prison term of five years without an option of a fine

Dangote had during a press briefing in Lagos on Sunday, made some allegations against the Ahmed.

He also accused the NMDPRA boss of regulatory failures and alleged corruption in the downstream petroleum sector.