President of Dangote Industries Limited, Aliko Dangote, yesterday, doubled down on his criticism of the regulator of the Nigerian downstream oil sector, calling for an investigation and prosecution of Chief Executive Officer of Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA), Farouk Ahmed, over alleged economic sabotage and undermining of domestic refining in the country.
Speaking at a press conference at the Dangote Petroleum Refinery, Ibeju-Lekki, Lagos State, Dangote accused the leadership of NMDPRA of colluding with international traders and oil importers to frustrate local refining through the continued issuance of import licences for petroleum products.
Dangote also alleged that Ahmed was living beyond his legitimate means, claiming that four of his children attend secondary schools in Switzerland at a cost of $5 million.
He insisted that such expenditure raised serious questions about potential conflicts of interest and the integrity of regulatory oversight in the downstream petroleum sector.