December 17, (THEWILL) — The Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA), Engr. Farouk Ahmed, has disowned a ‘fake’ statement circulating in the media and on social platforms as his purported response to allegations by the Chairman of the Dangote Group, Aliko Dangote.
In a disclaimer issued on Wednesday, Ahmed said the purported statement, in which he was reported to have explained how he funded his children’s education abroad, did not emanate from him, describing it as false, misleading and unauthorised.
“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.
The NMDPRA boss was reacting to allegations by Dangote, who recently accused him of spending about $5 million on the secondary school education of his children in Switzerland, an amount the billionaire industrialist claimed raised serious questions about possible abuse of office and misuse of public funds.
Dangote, Africa’s richest man, made the allegation against the backdrop of ongoing tensions between his business interests, particularly in the downstream oil and gas sector, and regulatory authorities. He alleged that the funds used for the overseas education of Ahmed’s children were inconsistent with the known earnings of a public officer, calling for scrutiny by anti-corruption agencies.
However, Ahmed said he deliberately chose not to engage in public exchanges over what he described as “wild and spurious allegations”, stressing that his position as a regulator required restraint.
“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 stated.
He further disclosed that the matter had now been taken to a formal investigative institution by the accuser, expressing confidence that the process would allow for an objective and dispassionate examination of the claims.
“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 added.
Dangote had on Tuesday, submitted a petition to the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) through his lawyer, Ogwu Onoja, SAN, seeking Ahmed’s arrest, investigation and prosecution over allegations of corruption, abuse of office and financial impropriety.
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