The House of Representatives has called for the immediate suspension of Farouk Ahmed, CEO of the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA), pending investigations into his controversial statements about fuel quality.

Motion Sponsored by Hon. Esosa Iyawe

The motion, sponsored by Hon. Esosa Iyawe, representing Oredo Federal Constituency, Edo State, was adopted during Tuesday’s plenary session, urging the House to address issues arising from Farouk’s utterances about local refineries.

Allegations of Adulterated Fuel

The House of Representatives has urged for an investigation into allegations of adulterated fuel in the Nigerian market, as fuel quality can impact engine hardware.

NMDPRA’s Stance

The NMDPRA allows local refiners to produce diesel with a sulfur content of up to 650 parts per million (ppm) until January 2025, in accordance with approvals from the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).

Dangote Refinery’s Response

Dangote Refinery called for a test of their products, which was supervised by members of the House of Representatives, revealing that Dangote’s diesel had a sulfur content of 87.6 ppm, contrary to NMDPRA’s claims.

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Investigations Underway

A joint committee of the House has commenced investigations into Farouk’s allegations against Dangote Refinery and is conducting a legislative forensic investigation into the involvement of middlemen in crude trading and the alleged lack of international standard laboratories for checking adulterated products.