CEO of the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA), Engr Farouk Ahmed has issued a disclaimer on a purported response to allegations of corruption brought against him by Alhaji Aliko Dangote.
“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.
“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.
“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.”
On Monday, Dangote alleged that Farouk Ahmed, NMDPRA’s chief executive officer (CEO), “paid $5 million” to a Swiss secondary school for his children’s education, describing the act as “economic sabotage and corruption”.
Releasing details of his allegations in a newspaper advert, Dangote listed the four children as Faisal Farouk, Farouk Jr., Ashraf Farouk, and Farhana Farouk. He also alleged that the continuous approval of import licences by the NMDPRA boss for petroleum products was deliberately weakening Nigeria’s refining capacity.
