Dangote Demands Probe of NMDPRA Chief Over Alleged Foreign School Fees
By Inemesit FRIDAY
Chairman of the Dangote Group, Alhaji Aliko Dangote, has called for an investigation into allegations that the Chief Executive of the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority, Mr. Farouk Ahmed, spent about five million dollars on the secondary education of his four children in Switzerland.
Dangote raised the allegation on Sunday during a media briefing at the Dangote Petroleum Refinery in Lekki, Lagos, while addressing what he described as regulatory lapses and corruption in the downstream petroleum sector. He said the NMDPRA boss should publicly explain the source of the funds, adding that the issue borders on economic sabotage if left unresolved.
According to the billionaire industrialist, the alleged expenditure is inconsistent with the known income of a public officer and should ordinarily attract scrutiny from tax and anti corruption agencies. He warned that silence on the matter could further weaken public confidence and discourage investors in the sector.
Dangote lamented the sharp contrast between the alleged spending and the hardship faced by many Nigerians who struggle to pay basic school fees, stressing that the situation raises serious moral and ethical concerns.
He clarified that he was not seeking the removal of the NMDPRA chief but was calling for an independent and transparent investigation by relevant authorities, including the Code of Conduct Bureau. He said that if the allegation is denied, he would publish details of the alleged tuition payments and pursue legal steps to compel disclosure from the schools involved.
Beyond the allegation, Dangote accused entrenched interests in the downstream petroleum sector of frustrating local refining through excessive fuel imports. He said continued dependence on imported refined products undermines national development and discourages investment in domestic capacity.
He further stressed the need for a strict separation between regulatory functions and commercial interests, noting that despite the issuance of several licences, the business environment has remained unfavourable for the establishment of new refineries.
Dangote said Nigerians stand to gain from sustained local refining and assured that his refinery is working to ensure recent reductions in gantry prices are reflected at filling stations nationwide.
Efforts to obtain a reaction from the NMDPRA were unsuccessful, as the agency’s spokesperson, Mr. George Ene Ita, said the authority had no comment on the allegation at the time of filing this report.
