President of the Dangote Group, Aliko Dangote, has accused the Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority, NMDPRA, Farouk Ahmed, of spending close to $5 million on the secondary school education of his four children in Switzerland.
Dangote, who accused the NMDPRA of spending beyond his means as a public servant, called for Ahmed’s probe, saying the issue should not be swept under the carpet as it’s capable of worsening the corruption in the nation’s oil and gas sector.
He made the allegation at a press conference in Lagos on Sunday, wondering how a pubic servant like Farouk could afford to send his children to school abroad where such humungous amount is paid as school fees.
Recall that some civil society organisations had in July called for Farouk’s probe for allegedly spending $5 million to enroll his children in foreign school.
According to Dangote, he ensured that his children attended their secondary school in Nigeria despite his huge wealth as Africa’s richest Man, with over $30 billion in combined wealth.
He stressed that Farouk’s expenditure is inconsistent with the earnings of a career public servant, saying he should be probed to ensure public confidence in the sector.
“That secondary school education, which is six years for four children, allegedly cost about $5 million. You cannot imagine somebody paying $5 million just to educate four children in secondary school.”
The billionaire businessman said such spending would ordinarily attract scrutiny from tax and anti-corruption authorities.
“When you look at his income, his income does not match paying this kind of fee,” Dangote added.
“Even if it’s me paying $5 million over six years for my four children, the taxman has to look at my taxes and how much I pay.”
Dangote further questioned the contrast between the alleged expenditure and the economic hardship faced by ordinary Nigerians, particularly in Ahmed’s home state.
“From Sokoto, where he comes from, people are struggling to pay ₦100,000 for school fees,” he said.
“A lot of children are at home, not going to school because of ₦100,000. I cannot understand why somebody who has worked all his life in government would have four children whose school fees amount to $5 million.”
He also stressed that his remarks were not a personal attack but a call for accountability
“I am not calling for his removal,” Dangote said.
“What I am asking for is a proper investigation. He should be required to account for his actions and demonstrate that he has not compromised his position to the detriment of Nigerians. What is happening amounts to economic sabotage.”
Dangote said relevant authorities, including the Code of Conduct Bureau or the Code of Conduct Tribunal, should investigate the matter.
“If he denies it, I will not only publish what was paid as tuition in those secondary schools, but I will also take legal steps to compel the schools to disclose the payments made by Farouk,” he stated.
He also disclosed that, unlike the alleged case, his own children attended secondary school in Nigeria.
“Even my own children didn’t go to those schools,” he said. “My children went to a Nigerian secondary school. They didn’t go outside Nigeria to attend secondary school.”
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