Two lawyers, Messrs Monday Ubani and John Nwokwu, have sent a Freedom of Information request to the Minister of Transportation, Mr Rotimi Amaechi, demanding, among others, the contract papers on the railway between Kano and Maradi in the Niger Republic, which the regime of the President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), recently approved for construction at a cost of $1.9bn.

In their FOI request of September 29, the lawyers asked Amaechi to, within seven days, provide them with “the detailed economic benefit of the rail line project” to the generality of Nigerians, or risk facing a lawsuit.

They also demanded “the actual contract cost of the rail; the awarded contract document(s), name of the firm and procedure of the award of the contract to the preferred firm; detailed information on where it is provided for in the 2020 Appropriation Act and the source of the generation of the fund for the contract.”

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Furthermore, the lawyers said they also wanted to know “the details of the deliberation and approval of such funds and rail project by the National Assembly.”

Their counsel, Joseph Igwe, said, “Our clients shall pay the necessary fees for the information. Be notified that if you fail to provide the above information within the period stipulated by law, we shall proceed against you in accordance with the provisions of the law.

“We have no doubt that you will accede to this request in the interest of the nation you are serving meritoriously.”