•Dismiss allegation against Farouk Ahmed as bid to weaken regulator, entrench monopoly
By Dauda Ismail, Abuja
More than 50 Civil Society Organisations, CSOs, have mounted a robust defence of the Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority, NMDPRA, Engr. Farouk Ahmed, dismissing allegations of corruption against him as spurious, reckless and wholly unsupported by evidence.
At a joint press conference in Abuja, yesterday, the coalition described the accusations, attributed to the President of Dangote Industries Limited, Mr Aliko Dangote, as a deliberate attempt to undermine the independence of the petroleum regulator and pressure it into relaxing its firm stance against monopolistic practices in Nigeria’s downstream sector.
Speaking on behalf of the coalition, the Convener, Comrade Ibrahim Bello, who also serves as National Coordinator of the Centre for Fiscal Transparency and Public Integrity, CFTPI, said the organisations had undertaken independent reviews and found no factual basis for the claims levelled against the NMDPRA boss.
“Our assessment clearly shows that Engr. Farouk Ahmed has not engaged in any corrupt conduct. On the contrary, his leadership has been instrumental in repositioning the midstream and downstream petroleum sector to promote competition, transparency and efficiency, in strict compliance with the Petroleum Industry Act, PIA”, Bello stated.
The CSOs maintained that the current leadership of the NMDPRA has remained resolute in enforcing the law, ensuring a level playing field and preventing the emergence of a monopoly that could harm consumers and distort the market.
They specifically debunked allegations that Ahmed allegedly paid five million dollars in school fees for his children in Switzerland, stressing that no documentary or verifiable evidence had been presented to support such claims.
According to the coalition, making grave allegations in the media without recourse to due process is not only irresponsible but poses a serious threat to Nigeria’s regulatory institutions and the broader reform agenda of the Federal Government.
Prominent members of the coalition who endorsed the position include Hajiya Fatima Sani of Citizens Watch for Good Governance; Barrister Chukwudi Eze of the Accountability and Democratic Values Initiative; Dr. Mrs Ngozi Okeke of the Nigerian Coalition Against Corruption and Waste; Pastor Emmanuel Adebayo of the Voice of Conscience Foundation; and Mr Tunde Ogunleye of the Integrity Monitors Network.
Others are Ms Chioma Nwosu of Patriots for Transparent Procurement; Comrade Aisha Yusuf of the Civil Liberties and Anti-Corruption Movement; Engr. Musa Abdullahi of the Due Process Advocacy Network; Prof. Grace Adeyemi of the National Alliance for Ethical Leadership; and Alhaji Usman Danladi of the Nigerian Integrity and Development Forum, alongside several regional and sectoral leaders.
The coalition argued that the sustained attacks on the NMDPRA leadership are rooted in its refusal to compromise regulatory standards or grant undue advantage to any single corporate entity.
“We strongly believe these allegations are intended to intimidate the regulator because of its insistence on fairness, competition and value for Nigerians”, the CSOs said.
In a similar vein, the Lawyers in Defence of Democracy and Anti-corruption, have also insisted that like Farouq, they’re against monopoly in the petroleum industry. In a press statement signed by the Chairman, Barrister Emeka Okafor, and Barr Mohammed Bello, the lawyers insisted that from their independent findings, engineer Ahmed is clean of all the accusations leveled against him.
“As a group, we the Lawyers in Defence of Democracy and Anti-corruption state unequivocally that the Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority, NMDPRA, Engr. Farouk Ahmed has not just been committed to his job of regulating the midstream and downstream sectors of the petroleum industry, but he has equally remained clean of corruption”, the statement read in part.
While reaffirming their commitment to accountability and good governance, the organisations urged individuals and corporate bodies with legitimate grievances to seek redress through established legal and institutional channels, rather than resorting to media trials.
They called on Nigerians to disregard the unsubstantiated allegations, urged stakeholders to respect the autonomy of regulatory institutions, and appealed to the Federal Government to continue supporting the reform-driven and independent leadership of the NMDPRA.
Both the coalition and the lawyers expressed full confidence in Engr. Farouk Ahmed, describing him as a principled regulator whose stewardship has strengthened credibility, boosted investor confidence and safeguarded the national interest in Nigeria’s midstream and downstream petroleum industry.
