Alex Enumah in Abuja
The Chairman of Dangote Group, Aliko Dangote, on Tuesday dragged the Managing Director (MD) and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA), Ahmed Farouk, before the Independent Corrupt Practices and other related offences Commission (ICPC).
In a petition submitted through his lawyer, Chief Ogwu Onoja (SAN), Dangote specifically called on the ICPC to arrest, investigate and prosecute Farouk for offences bordering on corruption and financial impropriety, in the performance of his duties as CEO of the petroleum regulatory agency.
The petition, which was submitted to the office of the ICPC Chairman, Musa Aliyu (SAN), alleged that Farouk spent over $7 million on the education of four of his children in Switzerland.
According to the petition, a copy which was seen by THISDAY, Farouk was said to have paid his children’s fees up-front for a six-month period, without any lawful source of income to justify such expenditure.
It is the claim of the petitioner that the NMDPRA boss grossly abused his office contrary to the extant provisions of the code of conduct for public officers and by so doing enmeshed himself in monumental corruption and unlawful spending of public funds running into million of dollars.
“That Engr Farouk Ahmed spent without evidence of lawful means of income humongous amount of money of over $7 million of public funds for the education of his four children in different schools in Switzerland for a period of six years upfront,” the petition read in part.
To buttress his allegations Dangote gave the names of the four children, the Swiss schools they attend, the amount paid for each of them to the ICPC for verification and confirmation.
The business mogul further alleged that Farouk used the instrumentality of the NMDPRA to embezzle and divert public funds for personal gain and private interests, actions which he claimed had fuelled public outrage and recent protests by various groups.
Attempting to substantiate the corruption allegations, Dangote pointed out that the NMDPRA boss spent his entire adult working life in the Nigerian public sector and as such could not, based on his legitimate earnings over the years, have accumulated funds close to the alleged $7 million used to finance his children’s education abroad.
“It is without doubt that the above facts in relation to abuse of office, breach of the code of conduct for public officers, corrupt enrichment and embezzlement are gross acts of corrupt practices for which your commission is statutorily empowered under Section 19 of the ICPC Act to investigate and prosecute,” Dangote said.
“That Engr Farouk Ahmed has corruptly enriched himself with tax payers money meant for public consumption and diverted them into private uses.
“Any public officer who uses his office or position to gratify or confer any corrupt or unfair advantage upon himself or any relation or associate of the public officer or any other public officer shall be guilty of an offence and shall on conviction be liable to imprisonment for five(5) years without option of fine.”
Meanwhile, the petitioner expressed confidence in the capacity of the ICPC, working alongside other anti-corruption agencies, to prosecute financial crimes and ensure that offenders are punished once a prima facie case is established.
He therefore urged the commission to act decisively by investigating the allegations against Farouk and prosecuting him if found culpable, stressing that the matter is already in the public domain.
According to the petition, Dangote said decisive action by the ICPC would help uphold justice and protect the image of the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
He also vowed to provide evidence to substantiate his allegations of corrupt enrichment, abuse of office and impunity against the NMDPRA chief.
The business mogul had during a press briefing on Sunday in Lagos, made similar allegations against Farouk.
He had also at the press briefing alleged regulatory failures and corruption in the downstream petroleum sector.
According to him, the allegations, if left unanswered, would continue to undermine public trust and investors’ confidence.
