In a dramatic move underscoring growing concerns over transparency in Nigeria’s energy sector, a coalition of public interest lawyers staged a peaceful demonstration today at the National Assembly in Abuja, calling for an urgent and thorough investigation into alleged financial misconduct involving Mr. Farouk Ahmed, the Chief Executive of the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA).
Brandishing placards with messages such as “Fueling Corruption is Not a National Duty” and “Probe the NMDPRA Now,” the lawyers decried what they described as a “systemic failure to hold power accountable,” alleging that under Mr. Ahmed’s leadership, the NMDPRA has been riddled with opaque financial practices and questionable regulatory decisions detrimental to the public good.
Speaking on behalf of the coalition, Barrister Amina Bello, a leading figure in Nigeria’s public interest legal community, stated:
“We are here because Nigeria can no longer afford to look the other way. Billions of naira are unaccounted for in regulatory shortfalls and subsidized allocation mismanagement, and the leadership of the NMDPRA must be held responsible.”
The group submitted a formal petition to the Senate Committee on Petroleum Resources (Downstream), urging legislators to initiate a bipartisan inquiry into the financial records and leadership practices of the NMDPRA.
The protest comes amid rising fuel prices and widespread public outcry over energy sector inefficiencies. Calls for institutional reform and greater transparency in regulatory agencies have intensified in recent months, with public watchdogs and civil society organizations echoing similar concerns.