The Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA), Farouk Ahmed, has denied authoring a statement circulating online in response to allegations made against him by Aliko Dangote, president of Dangote Industries Limited.
In a disclaimer issued early Wednesday, Ahmed said the message attributed to him did not come from his office. He acknowledged awareness of the accusations but said he deliberately refrained from engaging in public exchanges over the matter.
According to Ahmed, the allegations against him and members of his family — which he described as unfounded — had generated intense public debate. However, he stressed that responding through social media or press statements was not appropriate given the sensitivity of his role as a regulator.
“My attention has been drawn to a purported response said to have been made by me on the recent allegations. I wish to state clearly that the statement did not emanate from me,” he said.
The controversy follows claims by Dangote that the NMDPRA leadership was undermining domestic refining through the continued approval of petroleum product import licences. Dangote also accused Ahmed of economic sabotage and alleged that the regulator lived far beyond his legitimate earnings, citing claims that about $5 million was spent on the secondary education of Ahmed’s children in Switzerland, alongside other overseas education expenses.
Dangote has since escalated the matter beyond public statements, filing a formal petition with the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), requesting an investigation into the allegations. He has insisted that the issues raised border on abuse of office, conflict of interest and actions detrimental to Nigeria’s energy sector.
Reacting to this development, Ahmed said he welcomed the move to submit the matter to an investigative body, expressing confidence that a formal probe would allow the facts to be objectively examined.
“Thankfully, the person behind the allegations has taken the matter to a proper investigative institution. I believe this will provide an opportunity to calmly review the issues and ultimately clear my name,” he said.
Ahmed maintained that he would continue to focus on his responsibilities at the NMDPRA while the investigation runs its course, rather than engaging in what he termed public brickbats.
