The Minister of Transport, Mr. Rotimi Amaechi, and the Director-General of the Bureau of Public Procurement (BPP), Mamman Ahmadu have been dragged before a Federal High Court in Abuja, over alleged violation of the Public Procurement Act in the award of Rehabilitation and Reconstruction of Port Harcourt- Maiduguri, Eastern Narrow Gauge Railway line.
In the suit, dated 28th October 2020, the plaintiff, Insight Dynamic Resources Limited, is praying the court for an order to compel the federal government, the 3rd defendant in the matter, to initiate the Judicial process against the minister and BPP DG for “contravening the provisions of the public procurement Act as stipulated by the provision of Section 58 (5) (a) of the Public Procurement Act, 2007.”
In the suit filed on behalf of the firm by Babah Hussaini Bagudu, the plaintiff prayed the court to set aside the contractual agreement between the federal government and the Chinese Civil Engineering Construction Company, CCECC, for the Rehabilitation and Reconstruction of Port Harcourt- Maiduguri, Eastern Narrow Gauge Railway.
He prayed the court to determine whether Ameachi, through the BPP’s Director had the right to issue LETTER OF NO OBJECTION in favour of CCECC NIGERIA LIMITED for the Contract of the Rehabilitation and Reconstruction of Port Harcourt- Maiduguri, Eastern Narrow Gauge Railway with New branch line and Transhipment facilities.
The plaintiff claimed that the purported action denied other interested and capable companies the fairground to compete for the said contract) adding that the action contravened the spirit and provision of Section 16 and 40 of the Public Procurement Act, 2007.