A coalition of youth leaders from the south-south region has urged the presidency and the national assembly to disregard petitions and media reports alleging financial misconduct against Farouk Ahmed, the chief executive officer (CEO) of the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA).
The groups—South-South Youth Leaders and Agitators and Nigeria Youth for Good Governance– described the accusation as a “desperate charade” orchestrated by faceless organisations intent on discrediting ongoing reforms in the oil and gas regulatory sector.
At a joint press conference held in Abuja on Friday, the youth leaders said the accusations against Ahmed were politically motivated attempts to tarnish his public service record.
Eidogho Marcus, convener of South-South Youth Leaders and Agitators, dismissed the claims as baseless and attributed them to groups lacking credibility and national recognition.
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“We call on the national assembly, the secretary to the government of the federation’s office, and the presidency to disregard baseless petitions sponsored by groups without any known history of public advocacy or anti-corruption work. These groups appear only when hired for smear campaigns,” Marcus said.
He said Ahmed has been committed to transparency and reform since taking charge of NMDPRA.
Marcus said Ahmed’s achievements include enhanced regulatory oversight, increased investor confidence, and aligning Nigeria’s petroleum operations with global best practices under the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA).
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Oluwole Samson, convener of Nigeria Youth for Good Governance, appealed to the media to avoid being “willing tools” for political actors seeking to undermine public servants committed to merit and reform.
He warned against distractions aimed at preventing Ahmed from fulfilling his mandate and called on Nigerians and the international community to support credible efforts to transform the nation’s oil and gas sector.
“We urge the media to remain the conscience of society by avoiding complicity in propaganda. Nigerian youths should rise above political mischief and reject the culture of ‘trial by media,” Oluwole said.
“Engineer Faruq Ahmed exemplifies what is possible when merit, competence, and vision align. He is among the few public servants who have not used office for personal gain but have deployed their expertise for national development.”
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Last month, a group known as Public Interest Lawyers demanded the sack of Ahmed over alleged diversion of funds and abuse of office.
