By Kingston Magare 18.12.2025
Though under fire chief executive officer of the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA), Farouk Ahmed, has resigned, the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) has called for an investigation into the allegations of corruption made against him.
Billionaire industrialist Aliko Dangote had alleged that Mr. Ahmed was fantastically corrupt and was sabotaging efforts by local refineries to make petroleum products available and affordable.
Ahmed resigned from his position on Wednesday after meeting with President Bola Tinubu in Abuja.
Reacting to the development; the NBA said resignation was not enough, adding that such a move will signal weakness on the path of government to fight corruption.
“Allegations of this nature are too weighty to be used merely as tools for political expediency or administrative convenience. Once such claims are made, there is a public duty to investigate them to their logical conclusion, either to clear the individual’s name or to establish guilt based on credible evidence,” said NBA president Afam Osigwe said.
“We have said this before in similar cases. When weighty allegations such as forgery or false declarations are raised, there ought to be an investigation. People should present documents, and where others are complicit, they too should be held accountable.”
He also cautioned against a pattern in which allegations surface, a resignation follows, and public interest fades without any transparent inquiry.
“Accountability processes must be driven by a sincere desire to uphold the rule of law, not by political manoeuvring or attempts to give one party an advantage in regulatory or commercial disputes,” Osigwe added.
“Politicising serious accusations reduces them to power plays and undermines public confidence in governance and justice,” he added, declining to take sides in the specific controversy between Dangote and Ahmed.
“Building strong institutions requires consistency, transparency, and follow-through in handling allegations against public officers. This is how institutions are built and how we prevent such issues from recurring.”