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Farouk Ahmed’s Template of Probity, Transparency and Accountability at NMDPRA
BY ABUBAKAR YUSUF
Engr Farouk Ahmed was appointed by the immediate past administration of President Muhammadu Buhari as the Managing Director, Chief Executive Officer, Nigerian Midstream, Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority NMDPRA, soon after the unbundling of the defunct Department of Petroleum Resources DPR, into upstream and downstream.
Upon assumption of duty few years down the line , he has ensured a level playing ground , away from the translucent practices bedeviling the petroleum sector over the years.
With his indepth experience from the NNPCL over the years as the maiden Chief Executive Officer, no doubt Farouk was possessed the prerequisites to pilot diligently the affairs of the downstream sector of Nigeria’s petroleum industry sector, particularly in the area of acquisition and disposition of same products across the country.
Over a year down the line, he has brought not only probity, transparency and accountability to the new organization, but ensured that sanity is not only maintained as the core value of the newly unbundled organization.
Therefore, in the course of carrying out its mandate and statutory functions, many toes will have to be trampled upon to sustain the best practices both within and outside the shores of the country.
Having had enough wealth experiences from the petroleum sector, a feat that was unique and led to his appointment based on merit, the strife to do the right thing in the context of Nigeria, is expected to meet stiff resistances.
The recent altercations between the authority and a conglomerate of Dangote group was one out of many after his assumption of duty , having botched many sharp practices prevalent in the organization that was becoming a norm on assumption of duty.
In the industry, particularly the downstream sector , it is common to assess both substandard, fake and adulterated products as part of the gimmicks to shortchange hapless Nigerians on the basis of which the authority was convened.
To ensure adequate monitoring and regulatory framework in place , the Farouk Ahmed led NMDPRA was poised not to only nip in the bud , but ensured the right thing was done so as to contain needles and unforseen crises in the energy sector of the country.
Therefore, aside management decisions that ensured the mandate of the agency was not compromised, the readily available staff trained to confront the activities of the authority as it relates to customers, suppliers and vendors was not compromised under any guise, a feat he had maintained.
Inspite any unforseen circumstances, affluence and influence on the management and staff of the agency, the commitment to the core values of transparency and accountability must not be compromised.
The efforts of its operators to prevail on the management with a view to shortchanging hapless Nigerians capable of derailing the chain of distribution in the downstream sector, will not be condoned at the expense of hapless Nigerians.
The insistence to do the needful and the right thing formed the basis of series of confrontation, altercations between the management and it’s vendors.
Alas, the Farouk Ahmed led NMDPRA was poised to continue to sustain the age long legacy of doing the right thing, so as to avoid any crises in the downstream sector of the petroleum industry.
Written BY ABUBAKAR YUSUF on yus.abubakar3@gmail.com.
Nollywood star Annie Idibia opens up about life after her separation from music legend 2Baba. The actress reveals her daughters, Isabella and Olivia, are her strongest source of strength and emotional support.
She expressed her feelings during a red carpet interview at the Headies Awards, the actress spoke openly about how her daughters, Isabella and Olivia, have become her greatest pillar of strength during this emotional transition.
Her candid conversation sparked widespread admiration from fans, especially for the way she continues to prioritise her family and remain grounded amid personal turmoil.
During the emotional exchange at the prestigious awards show, Annie made it clear that her daughters are not just her children but the centre of her universe. She described Isabella and Olivia as her “only family” and her “backbone”, highlighting the deep bond she shares with them.
Annie shared her message in Pidgin English: “My children dey Kampe. The first one dey Yankee, she dey go school. No play with that girl o. I don’t play with my kids. Na them be my backbone.”
The Minister of Interior, Dr Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, has announced plans to establish a centralised system for the authentication and verification of all travel documents in Nigeria.
He made this known during a meeting in Abuja on Tuesday with the United Kingdom’s Minister of State, David Hanson.
In the company of Hanson were delegates from the UK Home Office, National Crime Agency, and the British High Commission.
According to Tunji-Ojo, the initiative aims to tackle immigration and document fraud, particularly those associated with border control.
“We discovered that one of the key drivers of rising document fraud is the absence of a centralised, real-time verification system,” he said.
“Currently, if someone submits 20 documents, you may need to contact 20 different issuing agencies to verify them. That breeds inefficiency.”
He explained that the proposed system would allow real-time verification of all documents—such as bank statements, passports, and certificates—at a single centre.
The minister also said Nigeria was ready to take the lead in formulating a regional strategy for border control, noting that regional differences required customised approaches.
“To tackle a heterogeneous problem with a homogeneous approach will not work,” Tunji-Ojo stated.
“That’s why we’re planning a regional border conference to allow for the development of unified yet adaptable strategies to combat migration and border-related challenges.”
He further disclosed that Nigeria’s EU visa solution platform would go live on May 1.
According to him, this will allow for more efficient processing and international cooperation while safeguarding national security and promoting investment.
“We now have a policy that ensures a response—approval or rejection—within 24 to 48 hours of applying for an EU visa,” he said.
Speaking on President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope agenda, Tunji-Ojo emphasised the administration’s commitment to preventing corruption rather than merely reacting to it.
“Our performance will be judged not by the number of convictions or recoveries but by how many crimes or frauds we prevent,” he said.
In his remarks, Hanson expressed the UK’s readiness to continue collaborating with Nigeria to improve criminal justice outcomes.
Hanson noted that the UK was reviewing its e-visa system and migration policies while exploring ways to expand trade, business, and skills development opportunities with Nigeria.
“My colleagues at the High Commission are eager to maintain strong engagement with the Nigerian government,” he said
According to him, the UK looks forward to enhancing cooperation in tackling crime and fraud.
“You can rest assured that the National Crime Agency, the High Commission, and the Home Office are ready to extend a hand of partnership,” he said.
….Says Atiku on his way out of PDP
…It was against my people’s will
Former Delta State Governor, Ifeanyi Okowa, has revealed that ex-Vice President Atiku Abubakar is preparing to leave the Peoples Democratic Party ahead of the 2027 elections.
Recall that, Atiku was the PDP’s presidential candidate in the 2023 election, with Okowa as his running mate.
On March 20, 2023, the PDP presidential candidate, Atiku, Labour Party’s Peter Obi, a former Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai and others jointly announced the creation of a coalition to challenge President Bola Tinubu in the 2027 election.
The move has sparked ongoing discussions about the potential for a united opposition, with political leaders expressing varied opinions.
Speaking on Arise News on Tuesday, Okowa—who officially joined the All Progressives Congress on Monday—expressed regret for not aligning with his people in supporting a southern candidate in 2023 instead of accepting the role as Atiku’s running mate. He said, “Even when we were campaigning, I realised our people were not interested in having another northerner come into power.
“But the decision had already been taken at the federal level by the party, and I had been nominated. Still, in retrospect, I now believe I should have gone with the will of my people.”
He added that the election of the current Delta State Governor, Sheriff Oborevwori, proves that the people still have confidence in their leadership.
Okowa added, “That showed the people still believed in us, believed in me. They said you’ve done well, and we will support the governor you have chosen. And they did.”
When asked about his communication with Atiku before leaving the PDP, Okowa responded, “I actually did communicate with him that we were going to have stakeholders meetings this week (in the last week) and that it was going to be a leadership meeting and the outcome of that meeting was going to determine our next path because we were no longer comfortable with the PDP.
“And I also know that he is already heading out of the PDP from the communications he has passed on to me, and that Nigerians know already.”