Toxic Fuel: Buhari didn’t order query against NMDPRA boss, says Presidency

President Muhammadu Buhari did not order that a query be issued to the Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA), Farouk Ahmed, over the importation of adulterated fuel.

Our correspondent reports that a national newspaper on Feb. 9. published a story, credited to an unnamed source, that President Buhari, who doubles as Minister of Petroleum, directed the Minister of State, Mr Timipre Sylva, to issue a query to the NMDPRA boss over the incident.

However, an authoritative source in the Presidency confirmed to State House correspondents that nothing of such ever happened.

The competent Presidency source, on Tuesday, stressed the need to set the records straight, saying:

“There was no directive to issue a query. What Mr President is interested in is for all the stakeholders to team up, and resolve the issue that has brought untold hardship to Nigerians, who queue hours on end to get petrol.”

“The President is aware that the Minister of State, the Chief Executive Officer of NNPC Ltd, Mele Kyari, the NMDPRA Head, and everyone involved, are working together to resolve the issues, at the shortest possible time.”

He added that what was uppermost in the mind of the president was the restoration of smooth supply of quality petrol to Nigerians, “and not recriminations or blame game”.

“Forget the story of any query being issued. It is not correct. Yes, Mr President is unhappy with what happened, but he didn’t direct that a query be issued. The story is not correct,“ the source affirmed.