Dangote demands NNDPRA CEO probe over alleged corruption
Aliko Dangote, the chairman of Dangote Industries Limited, has claimed that Farouk Ahmed expended approximately $5 million on tuition for his children at Swiss secondary schools.
Ahmed is currently the CEO of the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA).
Dangote voiced these allegations during a press conference at the Dangote Petroleum Refinery on Sunday, where he accused the NMDPRA executive of engaging in corrupt practices and economic sabotage.
He asserted that Ahmed had disbursed the mentioned amount for four of his children over a span of six years.
While Dangote did not specify the names of the Swiss institutions, he criticized the NMDPRA chief for living beyond his financial capabilities and called on the federal government to launch an investigation.
The group president pointed out that such expenditure raises significant concerns regarding potential conflicts of interest and the integrity of regulatory oversight in the downstream petroleum industry.
“I’ve heard complaints about a regulator who enrolled his children in secondary school, and that secondary school education, which lasts six years, for four of them cost Nigeria $5 million.
“My children attended secondary school in Nigeria. They didn’t go abroad for their education.”
“I’m puzzled as to why the NMDPRA chief executive, Mallam Farouk, has four of his children educated in Switzerland at a cost of $5 million strictly for their secondary education, not counting university.”
“And I’m aware that one of them has just graduated from Harvard. So, I want to know what kind of system we are part of that allows people to undermine a country, taking money from the government, when his income doesn’t justify such expenses,” Dangote stated.
Dangote suggested that the NMDPRA chief should have the opportunity to clear his name through an investigation rather than facing immediate dismissal.
He emphasized that proper procedures should be observed but cautioned that he would take legal action against the school if the allegation were refuted.
“The Code of Conduct Bureau or any other suitable entity designated by the government can investigate this issue. They should verify whether his income aligns with the five million he has paid [in] tuition for six years for four of his children, excluding travel expenses.
“He shouldn’t be terminated. But he must demonstrate that he hasn’t compromised his various government positions at the expense of Nigerians, particularly when many in Sokoto can’t afford to attend school due to 100,000 naira.
“If he disputes it, I will not only reveal what he paid as tuition at those secondary schools, but I will also sue those institutions to disclose how much he has paid throughout their time there, along with any other pertinent information that we lack. He should provide the names of the universities they attended and the total fees incurred over four years,” he asserted.
The group chairman additionally assured Nigerians that the pump price of PMS would decrease further, indicating that petrol would not exceed N740 per litre starting Tuesday in Lagos.
He explained that this would result from his refinery’s decision to reduce the gantry price to N699 per litre.
He stated that MRS filling stations would be the first to implement the new price, emphasizing that Nigerians would ultimately benefit from local refining, even as fuel importers face losses.
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