By Comfort Olayinka
Some hired hoodlums on Tuesday, attacked young protesters in Abuja after infiltrating the peaceful sit-out around the head office of the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA), in the Central Business District.
The group, under the aegis of Young Professionals Forum of Nigeria, in the series of the week-long rally in Abuja, had converged close to the NMDPRA, demanding that the Chief Executive Officer of the NMDPR, Engr. Farouk Ahmed, be suspended over alleged financial scandal.
The group, and several others, have consistently accused the NMDPRA Boss of diverting over $5m, allegedly using same to sponsor four of his children in luxurious foreign education across different countries.
But sooner than the protesters successfully addressed the press, than some hoodlums, tripping from the opposite direction of the NMDPRA office, infiltrated the young protesters and wanted to turn the peaceful sit-out to commotion; but for the wisdom of the leaders of the group, which insisted members should not react but quietly dismiss, to reconvene another day.
Comrade Emmanuel Ogwuche, who addressed press shortly before the infiltration of the hoodlums, said the youths would continue on their peaceful protests, until the needful was done. The group also hammered on allegations of abuse of power and regulatory compromise by Engr. Ahmed.
“Engr. Ahmed is at the centre of a massive financial scandal involving the alleged diversion of over $5 million in public funds to bankroll the luxurious foreign education of his children. While millions of Nigerians cannot afford to send their children to basic public schools; while university students in Nigeria face strikes, dilapidated hostels, and unpaid lecturers; one public servant is alleged to have spent our commonwealth to secure elite education for his family in Switzerland and India.
“His four children — Faisal, Farouk Jr., Ashraf, and Farhana, were 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.
“This is not just unethical. It is potentially criminal. The law is clear. Public officials must declare all assets. Public officials must not benefit from any advantage that compromises their impartiality. Public officials must not divert public funds or use the privileges of office to enrich themselves or their families. And yet, here we are, faced with overwhelming evidence that points to exactly that.
“We are also aware that Mr. Ahmed’s son, Faisal, was recruited into Oando PLC — a company directly under the regulatory jurisdiction of the NMDPRA. This is a clear conflict of interest. Oando is a regulated entity. Engr. Ahmed is the regulator. His son has no business working in a company whose regulatory fate lies in his father’s hands. The circumstantial evidence strongly suggests that this employment was not accidental. It was likely facilitated by undue influence. This is not acceptable. This is not excusable. This is not defensible”, Ogwuche stressed.
Ogwuche vowed that the group would not backout until President Bola Tinubu suspends Engr. Ahmed, saying, various groups have drawn the attention of Mr. President and all relevant authorities to bring the NMDPRA boss to account, but to no avail.
The group bemoaned that, “his (Ahmed) continued presence in office is a threat to reform. A threat to transparency. A threat to every effort to clean up the Nigerian oil and gas sector. His name is now synonymous with allegations of embezzlement, regulatory compromise, and abuse of office.
“We say this to Mr. Ahmed directly: you may still have the title, but you have lost the moral mandate. If you believe in integrity, you should resign today. If you believe in justice, you should subject yourself to investigation. If you believe in Nigeria, you should step aside and allow the truth to come out.
“But if you do not resign, then we, the Nigerian people, must make it clear: we will not accept your continued stay. We will not allow the NMDPRA to become a haven for elite impunity. We will not let this matter die in silence,” the group added.
Although no serious injury was recorded, but the group said some of its members were wounded, saying, no amount of intimidation could deter the youth from asking questions about what befalls their common patrimony.
