The House of Representatives has urged President Bola Tinubu to suspend the Chief Executive of the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA), Farouk Ahmed, pending an investigation into his recent comments on the quality of products produced at the Dangote Refinery.
The lawmakers took umbrage with Ahmed’s claims that the diesel produced by the Dangote refinery had high Sulphur content and was inferior to imported diesel. However, a test conducted at the refinery, witnessed by House members, revealed that Dangote’s diesel had a Sulphur content of 87.6 ppm, whereas imported diesel had Sulphur levels exceeding 1,800 ppm and 2,000 ppm.
The House expressed concern that the NMDPRA allegedly issued licenses to traders importing high-Sulphur diesel, posing health risks and financial losses to Nigerians. The Petroleum Downstream Committee has been mandated to investigate the matter.
