President Bola Tinubu has asked the Senate to confirm new chief executives for the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority and the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission following the resignation of the current heads of the agencies.
The President’s request was contained in separate letters to the Senate on Wednesday.
Farouk Ahmed resigned as Chief Executive of the NMDPRA, while Gbenga Komolafe stepped down as Chief Executive of the NUPRC.
Both officials were appointed in 2021 by former President Muhammadu Buhari after the enactment of the Petroleum Industry Act.
This was announced in a statement issued by the President’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga.
Recall that the President of Dangote Group, Aliko Dangote, has petitioned the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) over allegations of corruption against the Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA), Engr. Ahmed Farouk.
In the petition dated December 16 and submitted through his counsel, Ogwu Onoja, SAN, Dangote urged the anti-graft agency to investigate, arrest and prosecute the NMDPRA boss for alleged abuse of office and corrupt enrichment.
The petition, which was acknowledged by the office of the ICPC Chairman, Musa Aliyu, SAN, alleged that Farouk has been living far beyond his legitimate earnings as a public officer.
Dangote claimed that the NMDPRA chief spent more than $7 million on the education of his four children in Switzerland, an amount he said could not be justified by Farouk’s lawful income over his years in public service.
According to the petition, the funds were allegedly paid upfront for extended periods covering several years. Dangote provided details of the children involved, the schools they reportedly attend in Switzerland and the sums allegedly paid, to enable the ICPC to independently verify the claims.
“That Engr. Farouk Ahmed has grossly abused his office contrary to the provisions of the Code of Conduct for Public Officers and in doing so enmeshed himself in monumental corruption and unlawful spending of public funds running into millions of dollars,” the petition stated.
Dangote further alleged that Farouk used the instrumentality of the NMDPRA to divert public funds for personal benefit and private interests, actions he said had contributed to public outrage and protests by concerned groups.
The businessman argued that Farouk, who has spent his entire professional career in the Nigerian public sector, could not have legitimately accumulated resources amounting to the alleged $7 million used to sponsor his children’s foreign education.
He cited Section 19 of the ICPC Act, noting that abuse of office, corrupt enrichment and embezzlement fall squarely within the Commission’s investigative and prosecutorial mandate. Dangote added that the offence, upon conviction, attracts a jail term of five years without an option of fine.
“That Engr. Farouk Ahmed has corruptly enriched himself with taxpayers’ money meant for public use and diverted same to private purposes,” Dangote alleged, urging the ICPC to act decisively in the interest of accountability and public confidence.
Dangote also expressed confidence in the ICPC’s capacity, working with other anti-corruption agencies, to establish the facts and ensure prosecution where a prima facie case exists. He pledged to provide documentary and other evidence to support his claims.
The petition followed a recent press briefing in Lagos where Dangote accused the NMDPRA leadership of regulatory failures and alleged corruption in the downstream petroleum sector, warning that unresolved allegations could erode investor confidence.
In June 2025, similar allegations were raised against Farouk by protesters who marched to the offices of the Attorney-General of the Federation, the Code of Conduct Bureau and the ICPC in Abuja, demanding his resignation over alleged misconduct.
The NMDPRA has consistently denied the allegations, describing them as false and politically motivated, and insisting that claims against its chief executive amount to a coordinated smear campaign aimed at undermining the agency’s leadership.
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