Aliko Dangote, president of Dangote Group has alleged the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) has come under intense public scrutiny after initiating moves to pay approximately N25o billion in legacy bridging claims to oil marketers.
Bridging claims are government-backed reimbursements to petroleum marketers intended to cover costs incurred in transporting fuel from depots to distribution points nationwide, aimed at ensuring relatively uniform pump prices across the country.
However, Dangote’s camp have raised concerns that a significant portion of the claims lack verifiable supporting data, with discrepancies in some submissions reportedly as high as 47 per cent compared with levies paid per litre, fuelling suspicions of abusive or unsubstantiated payouts.
“The current move to settle approximately N250 billion in legacy bridging claims, despite the regulator’s inability to provide empirical data to substantiate as much as 47 percent of those claims against verified levies paid by depot owners and importers, strongly suggests the presence of irregular and potentially sinister practices,” a senior industry source said.
The source called for the Auditor-General of the Federation to halt all bridging claim payments pending a comprehensive forensic audit.
Who is Ahmed Farouk, the NMDPRA chief at the centre of Dangote’s allegations
“It is therefore imperative for the Auditor-General of the Federation to immediately halt the processing of all bridging claims until a comprehensive investigation and forensic audit are conducted to ensure that claims approved by the regulator accurately align with levies paid per litre,” the statement quoted a senior industry source.
The developments come amid a corruption petition filed by the President and Chief Executive of Dangote Industries Limited, Aliko Dangote, to the Independent Corrupt Practices and other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), alleging abuse of office, corrupt enrichment, and unlawful diversion of public funds by the NMDPRA chief.
The anti-graft agency has since confirmed receipt of the petition and announced that investigations have commenced.
In the petition dated Tuesday and submitted through his lawyer, Ogwu Onoja (SAN), Dangote urged the ICPC to arrest, investigate, and prosecute Farouk for allegedly living far beyond his legitimate means as a public servant. (BusinessDay)
By Oladehinde Oladipo