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The Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA), Farouk Ahmed, has disowned a statement circulating in his name purporting to respond to allegations made by President and Chief Executive of Dangote Industries Limited, Aliko Dangote.
In a disclaimer issued on Wednesday, Ahmed said the said statement did not emanate from him, stressing that he had deliberately refrained from engaging in public exchanges over the allegations.
“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,” he said.
Ahmed acknowledged awareness of what he described as “wild and spurious allegations” against him and his family, but noted that, as a regulator in a sensitive sector, he had chosen not to engage in public brickbats.
He welcomed the decision by the accuser to submit the matter to a formal investigative body, expressing confidence that the process would allow for an objective examination of the issues and ultimately clear his name.
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“Thankfully, the person behind the allegations has taken it to a formal investigative institution. I believe this would provide an opportunity to dispassionately distil the issues and clear my name,” he added.
The clarification followed a series of allegations by Dangote, who on Sunday accused Ahmed of economic sabotage and undermining domestic refining through the continued issuance of import licences for petroleum products.
At a press conference at the Dangote Petroleum Refinery, Dangote alleged that the leadership of the NMDPRA was colluding with international traders and oil importers to frustrate local refining efforts.
He further accused Ahmed of living beyond his legitimate means, alleging that four of his children were enrolled in secondary schools in Switzerland at costs amounting to several millions of dollars.
Dangote expanded the allegations on Monday, accusing the NMDPRA chief of corruption and misappropriation of public funds, and providing estimated figures for his children’s education abroad.
On Tuesday, he formally petitioned the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), through his lawyer, Ogwu Onoja, SAN, seeking Ahmed’s investigation and prosecution for allegedly living above his means.
The petition, addressed to ICPC Chairman, Musa Aliyu, alleged that Ahmed spent over $7 million on the education of his four children in Switzerland without lawful sources of income, and urged the commission to act in line with its statutory powers under the ICPC Act.
Dangote said he remained available to provide evidence to support his claims, as civil society groups staged protests over the allegations
