‘Farouk Ahmed must go’ – CSO protests, demands NMDPRA CEO’s sack, probe

Farouk Ahmed, the CEO of the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) is under fire as a civil society group has called for his sack and prosecution over alleged abuse of office.

The group, Concerned Lawyers and Civil Society in Defence of Public Trust, made the demand during a protest held in Abuja on Monday.

The group insisted that Ahmed should vacate his position pending a thorough investigation.

Speaking on behalf of the protesters, Martins Adaji emphasized the need for a full review of the agency’s financial activities.

He further warned that the protest was only the beginning, saying, “Today’s protest is not the end. If these demands are ignored, we will return stronger, louder, and more resolute. Nigerian youths, mothers, and civil society will occupy every relevant space to say: Enough is enough.”

They also called for Ahmed’s prosecution under the Public Procurement Act and the Code of Conduct Bureau guidelines.

The protesters further demanded that any recovered funds be channelled to rehabilitate schools in Nigeria’s most disadvantaged oil-producing communities.

“This protest is about justice. It is about drawing the line in the sand and saying, ‘NO MORE,” Adaji said. “NO MORE abuse of public trust.

“NO MORE luxury for the few while the many wallow in deprivation. NO MORE wasting of public funds while Nigerian university students are stuck at home due to strikes, poor infrastructure, and lack of funding.Nigerian fashion

“To the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, we ask you: will you watch this continue under your administration? Or will you act, and show that your government is serious about transparency and equity?

“Today’s protest is not the end. If these demands are ignored, we will return stronger, louder, and more resolute. Nigerian youths, mothers, and civil society will occupy every relevant space to say: enough is enough.

“We are done clapping for thieves. We are done bowing to men who see Nigeria as their inheritance. Let it be known: Engineer Farouk Ahmed must step down now. Not tomorrow. Not next week.

“Not after consultations. He must resign today. He must return every kobo spent on his children’s foreign education. And he must face the full weight of the law. That is the only way the Nigerian people will believe that justice still lives in this land.”

The protest comes amid broader changes in the oil and gas sector.

On April 2, President Bola Tinubu reshuffled the board of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Limited, appointing Bayo Ojulari as the new Group Chief Executive Officer (GCEO), replacing Mele Kyari.

Ahmadu Musa Kida also took over as non-executive chairman, succeeding Pius Akinyelure.

Additionally, on April 23, Wale Edun, minister of finance and coordinating minister of the economy, disclosed that a forensic audit of the NNPC was currently in progress.