Reps Call for Suspension of NMDPRA Boss Over Comments on Dangote Refinery

The House of Representatives has called on the Federal Government to suspend the Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA), Farouk Ahmed, pending the conclusion of investigations into his recent controversial comments regarding the Dangote Refinery.

The resolution was adopted following a motion of urgent public importance sponsored by Esosa Iyawe, the member representing Esosa Federal Constituency in Edo State, during Tuesday’s plenary session. Iyawe highlighted the need to address issues arising from Ahmed’s statements about the quality of fuel produced by local refineries.

Iyawe reminded his colleagues that allegations of adulterated fuel in the Nigerian market must be thoroughly investigated, noting that fuel quality can significantly impact engine hardware. He emphasized that ultra-low sulphur diesel is recommended for various applications due to the damaging effects of high sulphur content on engines and its contribution to air pollution.

The lawmaker pointed out that while countries worldwide have set standards to regulate sulphur content in fuels, the NMDPRA currently permits local refiners to produce diesel with sulphur content up to 650 parts per million (ppm) until January 2025, as approved by the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).

Iyawe quoted Farouk Ahmed as claiming that the diesel produced by the Dangote Refinery is inferior to imported diesel, citing a sulphur content of between 650 to 1,200 ppm. However, Iyawe noted that tests supervised by the House of Representatives revealed that Dangote’s diesel had a sulphur content of 87.6 ppm, significantly lower than the 1800 ppm and 2000 ppm found in two imported samples.

“Allegations have been made that the NMDPRA was giving licences to some traders who regularly import high-sulphur content diesel into Nigeria, posing grave health risks and huge financial losses for Nigerians,” Iyawe said. He condemned Ahmed’s statements as unprofessional and unpatriotic, especially amid recent calls for protests against the Federal Government.

A joint committee of the House began investigations into Ahmed’s allegations against Dangote Refinery on July 22, 2024. The panel, comprising the Committees on Petroleum (Downstream and Midstream), is also conducting a legislative forensic investigation into the presence of middlemen in crude trading and the alleged lack of international standard laboratories to check for adulterated products, among other issues.