Alleged $5m diversion: Lawyers join Ahmed-must-go protests in Abuja

The ongoing protests in the Nigerian Federal Capital, Abuja, against the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA), Engr. Farouk Ahmed, on Friday, received a boost, as popular Lawyers and Activists joined procession.

The Activists, who joined the procession under the aegis of Concerned Lawyers Network In Africa, linked up with another protesting group, Civil Rights and Anti-Corruption Crusade Network, around the head office of the NMDPRA, central district, Abuja, Friday morning, to demand for full investigation into the may allegations against Engr. Ahmed.

The Lawyers, like every other concerned Nigerian youths, urged the government and relevant authorities to investigate serious allegations of misconduct, corruption, and abuse of office against the Chief Executive of NMDPRA.

They alleged that Engineer Ahmed has been involved in questionable expenditures, including a staggering sum of five million US dollars reportedly spent on the education of his children abroad, saying, the revelation has sparked widespread concern and calls for immediate scrutiny.

Addressing Journalists during the peaceful procession, Barr. Aquila Kendo who spoke on behalf of the groups, said their continued advocacy stems from a deep sense of civic responsibility and a commitment to the welfare and integrity of the nation, vowing to sustain the fight until the needful is done.

“We are here today, on our continuous calls to the President and Commander-In-Chief of the Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, His Excellency, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, relevant anti-corruption agencies and the Nigerian people; demanding attention and investigation into the grave act of alleged misconduct, corruption and abuse of office, perpetrated by Engr. Farouk Ahmed, the Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority.

“Especially, the allegation of diversion of over five million dollars, reportedly used to sponsor luxurious foreign education of his children in abroad, must not go unnoticed, it must not be swept under the carpet as usual, it must not slide without proper investigation.

“We shall continue to voice our disarray with the situation, as it is our civic responsibility as a people of this country to do so. We shall continue to press this until the right thing is done. We want want Mr. President to succeed in his fight against corruption and in achieving that, all hands must be on deck”.

Speaking further, Barr. Kendo vowed that: “No amount of intimidation or threats can deter us from achieving this. We shall continue to join forces with all other organizations championing this course, until thorough investigation is done and Engr. Ahmed is brought to book”.

It would be recalled that, several groups have been occupying the head office of the NMDPRA and other relevant government offices since Monday this week, demanding for resignation of Engr. Ahmed as the CEO and/or his probe, over allegations of corruption, abuse of power, regulatory compromise and a total betrayal of the Nigerian people.

The protesting groups emphatically hinted on the alleged diversion of over five million dollar ($5m) by Ahmed, with which four of his children are currently being sponsored in expensive foreign schools in Switzerland and India, with other luxurious lifestyle.

“His four children — Faisal, Farouk Jr., Ashraf, and Farhana, were said to have enrolled in some of the most expensive schools in the world.

“Institutions with fees that range from $80,000 to $140,000 per year. Schools that only royalty and billionaires can afford. Schools that are as far removed from the average Nigerian reality as the moon is from the Earth. Schools like Aiglon College, Institut Le Rosey, European University Montreux, and La Garenne International School. In all, over $5 million is alleged to have been spent over the years on tuition, accommodation, upkeep, and flights. These payments were routed through undisclosed accounts, proxy relatives, and unreported assets — none of which appeared in Mr. Ahmed’s mandatory asset declaration forms”, one of the groups alluded.