…Say Ahmed Farouk Betrayed Public Trust
The Sokoto State Students Forum (SSSF) has added its voice to mounting calls for the immediate sack of Engr. Ahmed Farouk, Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA), over what it described as an “unforgivable abuse of public trust”.
In a statement issued in Sokoto on Sunday and signed by the group’s president, Abdullahi Al-Majeed, the forum accused the NMDPRA boss of “mocking the suffering of Nigerian students” by allegedly diverting public funds to finance the elite foreign education of his children while millions of children, especially in the north, remain out of school.
“The allegations levelled against Engr. Farouk Ahmed are deeply troubling to all well-meaning Nigerians, but especially to students and young people who are already disillusioned by the scale of systemic corruption,” Al-Majeed said.
“We have studied the evidence submitted by credible civil society organisations. These include school records showing that Ahmed’s children—Faisal Farouk, Ashraf Farouk, Farouk Jr., and Farhana Farouk—attended elite schools such as Aiglon College, La Garenne International School, Institut Le Rosey, and Montreux Secondary School. For those who know, these are schools where annual tuition alone exceeds $130,000, excluding upkeep, flights, and accommodations.
“We are outraged that a public servant would preside over a public institution in a country with more than 10 million out-of-school children, yet spend $5.5 million to fund the most expensive schools abroad for his children.
“The facts are public. The amounts are staggering. The silence from the Presidency is deafening. And the damage to the public psyche is deep.”
According to Al-Majeed, young people across the north are watching closely to see if the administration of President Bola Tinubu will uphold the same standard it applied in the suspension of former official like Betta Edu.
“This is not just about Farouk Ahmed. This is about the moral credibility of the government. If Mr. President could act swiftly in the case of Betta Edu, then he must do the same here. No civil servant, no matter how connected, is above the law,” he said.
The group said Ahmed Farouk’s continued presence in office was both untenable and dangerous for the reputation of the Nigerian public service.
“It sends a message to the younger generation that looting public funds is a rewardable offence—that a regulator in the petroleum sector can allegedly spend over $5 million on private tuition abroad for his children and face no consequences,” Al-Majeed said.
He accused NMDPRA of using public money to sponsor full-page newspaper advertisements in an attempt to “distract and deflect” rather than address the serious questions Nigerians are asking.
“What the agency should have done was to publish verifiable evidence that the NMDPRA CEO has legitimate income streams outside government capable of funding such extravagance. Instead, they chose to gaslight the public. That is unacceptable.”
Al-Majeed added that students across tertiary institutions in Sokoto and neighbouring states were prepared to mobilise mass peaceful demonstrations if the Federal Government fails to act in the coming weeks.
“We are consulting. And if nothing is done, we will come to Abuja. Enough is enough,” he declared.
The Sokoto State Students Forum insisted that Engr. Ahmed Farouk must be suspended from office immediately, investigated by the relevant anti-corruption agencies, and prosecuted if found culpable.
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