The House of Representatives has intervened in a public dispute between the Dangote Refinery and the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority. (NMDPRA).
The leaderships of both organizations are expected to attend an emergency hearing, aimed at resolving rising tensions that lawmakers fear could destabilize Nigeria’s downstream petroleum sector.
The House Joint Committee on Petroleum Resources (Downstream and Midstream) directed both parties to cease all public and media hostilities pending the conclusion of its investigation.
“The key issue that necessitated this emergency meeting was the growing tension that has returned to the downstream sector as a result of concerns and allegations raised by Alhaji Aliko Dangote against the NMDPRA,” said Rep. Ikenga Ugochinyere, the chair of the downstream committee, after an emergency meeting in Abuja.
The latest dispute was sparked by allegations levelled by Dangote Group President, Aliko Dangote, against the NMDPRA leadership, especially its Chief Executive Officer, Farouk Ahmed.
Dangote has accused the regulatory body of economic sabotage by allegedly undermining local refining through the continued issuance of import licenses for petroleum products, despite the new refinery’s growing production capacity.
He further alleged that the regulatory official was colluding with international oil traders and questioned the official’s personal finances, demanding an investigation by anti-corruption agencies.
He also accused Ahmed of paying $5 million in school fees for his children in Switzerland, an amount Dangote doubted the regulatory boss could afford without corruption.
The House committees said they have received petitions touching on critical industry concerns, including the validity of import licenses and the capacity of domestic refineries to meet Nigeria’s daily fuel demands.
The intervention comes at a sensitive time as the government and industry stakeholders work to stabilize fuel supply and pricing in the post-subsidy era.
