A group, Northern Group Frontiers, has condemned the House of Representatives’ motion calling for the removal of Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) Chief Executive, Farouk Ahmed.
It would be recalled that the House of Representatives on Tuesday urged President Bola Tinubu to suspend Ahmed for his “unguarded comments” about the quality of products produced at the Dangote Refinery.
The lawmakers requested Ahmed suspension pending an investigation into the allegations against the authority.
This followed a motion addressing the outrage sparked by Ahmed’s comments. Esosa Iyawe, who moved the motion, claimed Ahmed stated that diesel produced by the Dangote refinery had high sulfur content and was inferior to imported diesel.
The House, which visited the Dangote Refinery in Lagos on Saturday, noted the billionaire’s request for a product quality test at his $20 billion facility.
Reacting to the issue during a press conference in Abuja on Thursday, Northwestern Co-ordinator of Northern Group Frontiers, Ambassador Abdul Usman, criticized the House’s move.
“We are appalled by the House of Representatives’ resolution to sack the Managing Director of the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Authority (NMDPRA), Farouk Ahmed, over alleged ‘unguarded comments’ on local refineries.
“This action reeks of desperation and blatant bias, exposing the lawmakers’ shocking allegiance to Dangote’s monopolistic interests. The same Dangote who has consistently employed unethical tactics to undermine his competitors, including BUA, is now being shielded by the House of Reps,” Usman said.
The group called on the House to retract its resolution and uphold fairness and independent investigations into Dangote’s business practices.
They emphasized the need for protection for whistleblowers and industry regulators.
Usman also questioned Dangote’s business practices: “The House of Reps should also thoroughly investigate how, since President Obasanjo’s era, Dangote has been the only investor buying all available Black Oil in Nigerian refineries, shutting out rivals and manipulating the market.