A group known as Nigerians for Good Governance (NGG) says it has uncovered an attempt to blackmail Nigeria’s minister of transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, through negative media reports.
This follows a recent online news report which compared the cost of rail construction in Nigeria with Ghana.
That report caused China Railway Construction Corporation (International) Nigeria Limited (CRCC-Nigeria) to lose a contract to rehabilitate and construct a 560-kilometre standard gauge railway in Ghana “for breach of confidentiality”.
In a letter to CRCC dated June 3, 2019, Ghana’s minister of railways development, Joe Ghartey, said the company failed to act in good faith, having breached the confidentiality clause as spelt out.
“Each Party agrees that the terms of MoU and all previous and subsequent discussions, documents and information exchanged pursuant to or otherwise related hereto will be treated in confidence and will not be disclosed except as required by law and otherwise,” the letter reads.
The minister further said CRCC was yet to submit any “report of feasibility studies to the Ministry of Railways Development, let alone the project cost estimate.”
He added that the publication by the Nigerian news platform “contains a lot of factual inaccuracies.”
Responding, NGG coordinator, Ahmed Adamu, claim some persons who are not happy with Nigeria’s infrastructure growth under President Muhammadu Buhari are poised to paint Amaechi and the Federal Government as corrupt.
“We can confirm that some persons are not happy with the speed at which Rotimi Amaechi is achieving some of the infrastructural projects of President Buhari and they have resort to blackmail.
“We know how Mr Amaechi is bringing to life several rail projects across the country, these they are not happy about.
“We urge Nigerians to ignore this blackmail plot. We know their game and thanks to the Ghanaian minister, he has revealed that CRCC never submitted any feasibility studies to the Ministry of Railways Development let alone the project cost estimate.
“Since there is no cost by CRCC, how come they are brandishing figures about? It is a clear attempt to blackmail Mr Amaechi,” the group said.
