- Tinubu names replacement
Farouk Ahmed has resigned as the Managing Director of the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) amid corruption allegations levelled against him by the Chairman of the Dangote Group, Aliko Dangote.
Presidential spokesman, Bayo Onanuga, disclosed this in a statement on Wednesday, in which he also said Gbenga Komolafe has left his position as the chief executive of the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC).
Onanuga said President Bola Tinubu has sent the names of two nominees to the Senate for confirmation as their replacement.
The president wrote to the lawmakers, asking for the expedited confirmation of Oritsemeyiwa Eyesan as CEO of NUPRC and Saidu Mohammed as NMDPRA chief.
“The two nominees are seasoned professionals in the oil and gas industry,” the statement read in part.
Hours before his resignation, the former NMDPRA chief visited Tinubu at the State House in Abuja.
Dressed in traditional attire, the Bauchi State-born spent less than 30 minutes before he left the premises.
While the reason for the visit was unclear, he also declined to speak with journalists, saying: “It’s already late for an interview. It’s past 5pm. Work has closed.”
His visit came in the wake of the brawl between him and Dangote, which saw the latter petitioning the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), accusing Ahmed of corruption and financial impropriety.
In the petition submitted through his lawyer, Ogwu Onoja, Dangote asked the anti-graft agency arrest, investigate, and prosecute the former NMDPRA chief.
Africa’s richest man accused him of living beyond his means, claiming four of his children had attended secondary schools in Switzerland, with costs running into several millions of dollars.
He claimed approximately $5 million had been spent on secondary education and upkeep over six years, plus an additional $2 million on tertiary education, including an alleged $210,000 for a 2025 Harvard MBA programme for one of Ahmed’s children.
The reputed industrialist listed the children’s names and schools they attend, asking the ICPC to prosecute Ahmed in line with the laws of the land.
“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,” part of the petition read.
The ICPC acknowledged receipt of the petition, promising to probe the matter.
“The petition is against the CEO of the NMDPRA, Alhaji Farouk Ahmed. The ICPC wishes to state that the petition will be duly investigated,” it said.
On Sunday, the industrialist accused the NMDPRA leadership, under Ahmed, of economic sabotage, claiming that certain regulatory actions were undermining local refining capacity.
During a press conference at the Dangote Petroleum Refinery, Dangote alleged that the continued issuance of import licences for petroleum products was frustrating domestic refiners and perpetuating reliance on imports.
He alleged that the regulator was colluding with international traders and oil importers to the disadvantage of local operators.
Following the series of allegations, Ahmed, in a terse statement, described Dangote’s claims as “wild and spurious.”
“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,” he said.
“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.”
The renewed feud between Dangote and Ahmed dates back to 2024, when the NMDPRA accused local refiners, including Dangote Refinery, of producing low-quality products compared to imported ones.
He accused Dangote of trying to monopolise the supply of energy products in Nigeria, allegations the refiner denied.
NMDPRA also claimed that the Lagos-based refinery was in its pre-commissioning stage and does not have an operational license.
The House of Representatives had then called for the probe of the matter and Ahmed’s suspension.
The NMDPRA chief accused Dangote of seeking to monopolise the supply of energy products in Nigeria, claims the refiner refuted.
- Media Report
