Farouk Ahmed, the Chief Executive of the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA), might be set to be suspended.
This follows a call by the House of Representatives. The green chambers called for Ahmed’s suspension pending the outcome of ongoing investigations into allegations against the authority.
The move by the House of Representative followed the adoption of a motion of urgent public importance by Hon. Esosa Iyawe, addressing the fallout from alleged unguarded comments attributed to the NMDPRA Chief Executive.
Hon. Iyawe emphasized the critical impact of fuel quality on engine hardware, advocating for the use of ultra-low sulfur diesel across various sectors to mitigate engine damage and reduce air pollution.
“Governments worldwide have set stringent standards to minimize sulfur emissions, given the severe environmental and health risks posed by sulfur dioxide, which can harm the respiratory system, impair lung function, and even cause cancer,” Hon. Iyawe noted.
He pointed out that the NMDPRA currently permits local refiners to produce diesel with sulfur content up to 650 parts per million (ppm) until January 2025, as approved by ECOWAS.
Hon. Iyawe alleged that the NMDPRA Chief Executive recently made claims that diesel produced by the Dangote refinery was inferior to imported diesel, citing sulfur content levels between 650 to 1,200 ppm. However, a subsequent test supervised by Members of the House of Representatives revealed that Dangote’s diesel had a sulfur content of 87.6 ppm, while imported samples showed sulfur levels exceeding 1800 ppm and 2000 ppm, respectively.
“These findings contradict the NMDPRA Chief Executive’s statements and raise concerns about the issuance of licenses to traders importing high-sulfur diesel into Nigeria, posing significant health risks and financial losses to Nigerians,” Hon. Iyawe stated.
Hon. Iyawe criticized the NMDPRA Chief Executive’s remarks as unprofessional and unpatriotic, especially amid growing public discontent and calls for protests against the Federal Government.
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