The Presidency has maintained that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu will not intervene in the work of Nigeria’s anti-corruption agencies amid corruption allegations involving Farouk Ahmed, the former Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority
Ahmed stepped down from his position after Aliko Dangote, President and Chief Executive Officer of Dangote Industries Limited, accused him of corruption, sparking widespread public debate over accountability and enforcement.
Responding to the controversy on Thursday, presidential spokesman Bayo Onanuga said the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission and the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission operate independently and are empowered by law to act without directives from the President.
His comments followed criticism on social media questioning why Ahmed’s resignation had not been accompanied by an arrest or a public announcement of an investigation. One X user, @OurFavOnlineDoc, argued that stepping aside was insufficient and did not equate to justice.
“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,” the user wrote.
Onanuga rejected the criticism, describing it as a misunderstanding of how the system works. He emphasized that the President does not control the actions of the EFCC or ICPC.
“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,” he said.
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