President of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Mazi Afam Osigwe, SAN, has insisted that serious allegations, including forgery and false asset declarations, must be thoroughly investigated and should not be allowed to end with the resignation or removal of a public officer.
Osigwe made the remarks in the wake of the resignation of the Managing Director of the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA), Ahmed Farouk, following corruption allegations levelled against him by the Chairman of the Dangote Group, Aliko Dangote.
Speaking during on Channels TV Politics Today, the NBA president warned that allowing high-profile officials to quietly leave office without accountability weakens institutions and entrenches a culture of impunity.
He stressed that resignation does not amount to exoneration and must not be treated as closure.
“Allegations of this nature are too weighty to be used merely as tools for political expediency or administrative convenience. Once such claims are made, there is a public duty to investigate them to their logical conclusion, either to clear the individual’s name or to establish guilt based on credible evidence,” Osigwe said.
He added, “We have said this before in similar cases. When weighty allegations such as forgery or false declarations are raised, there ought to be an investigation. People should present documents, and where others are complicit, they too should be held accountable.”
Osigwe cautioned against a pattern in which allegations surface, a resignation follows, and public interest fades without any transparent inquiry.
Such an approach, he noted, creates the impression that allegations are weaponised simply to remove someone from office, after which no one genuinely seeks the truth.
He emphasised that accountability processes must be driven by a sincere desire to uphold the rule of law, not by political manoeuvring or attempts to give one party an advantage in regulatory or commercial disputes.
Politicising serious accusations, he warned, reduces them to power plays and undermines public confidence in governance and justice.
While declining to take sides in the specific controversy, Osigwe said perceptions of corruption can sometimes be as damaging as proven misconduct, making it all the more important for allegations to be properly examined.
Failure to investigate, he added, harms not only the individuals involved but also the credibility of public institutions.
“Building strong institutions requires consistency, transparency, and follow-through in handling allegations against public officers. This is how institutions are built and how we prevent such issues from recurring,” he said.
Osigwe maintained that Nigeria’s anti-corruption efforts would remain superficial unless allegations are followed by credible investigations and, where necessary, prosecution.
He stressed that accountability must go beyond symbolic gestures to demonstrable outcomes.
