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By Tracy Moses
Several civil society organisations have formally retracted their earlier corruption allegations against the Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA), Engr. Farouk Ahmed, tendering a public apology over what they now describe as false and unfounded claims.
The groups, Young Professionals for Peace and Development, Coalition of Civil Society Against Corruption, South East Frontiers, Niger Delta Advocacy for Good Governance, and Yoruba Action Group for Sustainable Development, issued a joint statement on Wednesday to clear the air.
Also endorsing the statement were Olawale Mudasiru, Director of Lawyers in Defence of Good Governance; Abdullahi Farouk, National Coordinator of the Northern Interest Project; Engr. Emeka Obiora, President of Young Professionals for Peace and Development; Comrade Adedayo Oluwasegun, President of Coalition of Civil Society Against Corruption; Agozie Chibudom, Coordinator of South East Frontiers; Perepate Godspower, President of Niger Delta Advocacy for Good Governance; and Mogbojuri A. Alao, President of Yoruba Action Group for Sustainable Development.
In the statement, the groups admitted that they had wrongly accused Ahmed of financial misconduct, including the alleged diversion of public funds to sponsor four of his children to elite foreign institutions to the tune of $5 million.
They revealed that new facts that emerged following deeper investigations proved their earlier assertions to be false. The findings showed that the children in question had completed their education before Ahmed assumed office as NMDPRA CEO, and that they studied under scholarship programmes.
“We had earlier accused the CEO of mismanaging public funds and sponsoring his children to foreign universities with ill-gotten wealth. However, subsequent evidence revealed that the children had already graduated before his appointment and benefited from scholarship support,” the statement read.
They continued: “Our claims have therefore been proven inaccurate and baseless. In light of this, we are officially withdrawing our petitions and apologise without reservation to Engr. Farouk Ahmed and his family for the misinformation and distress our actions may have caused.”
The groups acknowledged the reputational damage and emotional toll their allegations may have inflicted and pledged to exercise greater diligence in future advocacy.
“While we stand firm in our mission to promote transparency and accountability in public service, we equally recognise the importance of admitting and correcting our mistakes. We were misled, and we deeply regret the confusion and embarrassment our actions may have caused,” the statement concluded.