A Nigerian petroleum expert, Engr. Kailani Mohammed, has challenged business mogul Aliko Dangote to publicly disclose how he amassed his wealth during his time in Port Harcourt in the 1980s.
Mohammed made the remark while responding to Dangote’s allegations against the Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA), Farouk Ahmed.
According to the oil expert, Dangote should refrain from making personal attacks while pursuing what he described as an attempt to monopolise the petroleum industry.
He had accused Farouk Ahmed of allegedly spending about $5 million on the secondary education of his children in Switzerland. In a widely circulated video, the billionaire challenged the NMDPRA boss to publicly deny the allegation, insisting that he had incontrovertible evidence.
Reacting during an interview on Trust TV, Mohammed criticised Dangote’s approach, saying personal issues should not be dragged into industry disputes.
“When you are fighting, you don’t touch people personally,” Mohammed said. “Can Dangote tell us about the source of his wealth in the 1980s when he was in Port Harcourt? Who is clean?
“Every time there is an attempt to monopolise the industry, allegations are raised against individuals. In the 1980s, we are aware of what happened in Port Harcourt and how he made his money, yet nobody brought up these issues then.”
Mohammed also referenced earlier comments by Farouk Ahmed on the operations of the Dangote Refinery, noting that claims about its production capacity had been previously addressed.
“He said it before that while the Dangote Refinery was producing about 40 per cent, the Fluid Catalytic Cracker (FCC), which would raise capacity to about 80 or 90 per cent, is not working. Farouk said it earlier, and we reiterated it,” Mohammed added.
