December 15, (THEWILL) — Over 50 Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) have accused the Chairman of Dangote Industries Limited, Aliko Dangote, of attempts to undermine regulatory independence in Nigeria’s petroleum sector, as they dismissed allegations of corruption against the Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA), Farouk Ahmed.
THEWILL had reported that Dangote, on Sunday, levelled grave allegations of corruption and economic sabotage against Ahmed, accusing him of paying $5 million in school fees to Swiss secondary schools for his children. According to the billionaire industrialist, the alleged $5 million was spent on the secondary school education of four of Ahmed’s children over a six-year period, a cost he said raised serious questions about integrity, conflicts of interest and regulatory oversight in Nigeria’s downstream petroleum sector.
Speaking at a joint press conference in Abuja on Monday, the CSO described the allegations as unfounded, unsubstantiated and a deliberate attempt to discredit the leadership of the NMDPRA over its strict enforcement of regulatory standards in the midstream and downstream petroleum space.
Addressing journalists on behalf of the coalition, the Convener, Comrade Ibrahim Bello, who is also the National Coordinator of the Centre for Fiscal Transparency and Public Integrity (CFTPI), said the groups had reviewed the allegations and found no evidence linking the NMDPRA boss to any corrupt practice.
“Our assessment shows clearly that Mr Farouk Ahmed has acted within the law and in strict adherence to the Petroleum Industry Act. His leadership has strengthened transparency, promoted fair competition and prevented monopolistic dominance in the sector”, Bello said.
The coalition specifically dismissed claims that the NMDPRA CEO allegedly paid five million dollars in school fees for his children in Switzerland, stressing that no documentary or verifiable proof had been provided to support such assertions.
According to the CSOs, making serious allegations through the media without following due process poses a grave risk to regulatory institutions and could weaken public confidence in ongoing reforms within the petroleum industry.
They argued that the sustained attacks on the NMDPRA leadership stem from the Authority’s refusal to compromise regulatory standards or allow any single corporate entity to dominate Nigeria’s downstream petroleum market.
“We believe these allegations are part of a broader effort to intimidate the regulator because of its insistence on fairness, competition and protection of the national interest”, the coalition stated.
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 several other civil society leaders drawn from across the country.
While reaffirming their commitment to transparency and accountability, the CSOs urged individuals and corporate entities with genuine grievances to seek redress through established legal and regulatory channels rather than resorting to what they described as “media trials”.
They also called on Nigerians to disregard the allegations, urged stakeholders in the petroleum sector to respect the autonomy of regulatory institutions, and appealed to the Federal Government to continue supporting the independence and reform-driven leadership of the NMDPRA.
The coalition reaffirming its full confidence in Ahmed, describing him as a regulator whose actions have enhanced credibility, strengthened stakeholder confidence and safeguarded Nigeria’s national interest in the midstream and downstream petroleum sector.
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