The Presidency has said President Bola Tinubu will not interfere in the actions of anti-corruption agencies following corruption allegations against Farouk Ahmed, former Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA).
Ahmed recently resigned as NMDPRA boss following allegations of corruption leveled against him by Aliko Dangote, President and Chief Executive Officer of Dangote Industries Limited.
Presidential spokesman Bayo Onanuga, in a comment on X on Thursday, said the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) are autonomous institutions and will act according to their statutory mandates.
Onanuga made the remarks in a post on X, reacting to public criticism over the absence of arrests or announced investigations following Ahmed’s resignation.
An X user, @OurFavOnlineDoc, specifically questioned the lack of prosecution or investigation, arguing that resignation alone does not amount to accountability.
“No prosecution. No arrest. No investigation. No proper accountability.
Just allegation of stealing public funds, followed by a quiet resignation, and everybody can move on.
This is not how to build a sane country with trust, integrity, and respect before the world. What a shame,” he said.
However, Onanuga dismissed the criticism as uninformed, stressing that the President cannot direct the EFCC or ICPC on how to handle such matters.
“This is how we get things wrong through uninformed criticism. ICPC and EFCC are autonomous institutions. The ball is now in their courts to carry out their mandates. Mr. President will not tell them what to do,” Onanuga said.
