Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA), Farouk Ahmed, has denied authoring a statement circulating in his name in response to allegations made against him by Aliko Dangote, president and chief executive of Dangote Industries Limited.
In a disclaimer issued on Wednesday, Mr Ahmed said the statement did not come from him.
He said he was aware of the allegations and the public reaction they had generated but had chosen not to respond publicly.
“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 added that he was aware of what he described as “wild and spurious allegations” made against him and his family but said he would not engage in public exchanges.
“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,” he said.
Dangote had, on Sunday, accused Ahmed of economic sabotage and alleged that the leadership of the NMDPRA was frustrating domestic refining through the issuance of import licences for petroleum products.
He also alleged that Ahmed was living beyond his means, claiming that his children were educated abroad at costs running into millions of dollars.
On Monday, Dangote expanded the claims, alleging corruption and misappropriation of public funds and provided estimates of the cost of the education of Ahmed’s children in Switzerland and the United States.
On Tuesday, Dangote submitted a petition to the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission through his lawyer, Ogwu Onoja, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, calling for Ahmed’s investigation and prosecution.
The petition alleged that Ahmed spent over $7 million on his children’s education without evidence of lawful income.
Farouk Ahmed said he welcomed investigation by relevant authorities and maintained that he would address the matter through formal channels rather than public statements.
