The World Bank Group has announced the 30-month debarment of two Nigeria-based companies –Viva Atlantic Limited and Technology House Limited – and their chief executive, Norman Bwuruk Didam.
The debarment is in connection with fraudulent, collusive and corrupt practices in the execution of the National Social Safety Nets Project in Nigeria, the bank said in a statement.
The project aimed to provide access to targeted transfers to poor and vulnerable households under Nigeria’s expanded national social safety nets system.
According to the facts of the case and the general principles of the World Bank’s Anticorruption Framework, in connection with a 2018 procurement and subsequent contract,
Viva Atlantic, Technology House and Didam allegedly misrepresented a conflict of interest in the companies’ letter of bids and received confidential tender information from public officials, which constituted fraudulent and collusive practices, respectively, the statement said.
Also, Viva Atlantic and Didam reportedly misrepresented Viva Atlantic’s experience and submitted falsified manufacturer’s authorisation letters, as well as offered and provided things of value to project public officials.
These actions were termed as fraudulent and corrupt practices, respectively.
The debarment precludes the two companies and Didam from participating in Bank Group-financed projects and operations. As part of their settlement agreements, the companies and Didam have acknowledged culpability and agree to meet specified integrity compliance conditions as a requirement for release from debarment.
Among other things, Didam is required to complete individual corporate ethics training, and the two companies must enhance their internal integrity compliance policies and implement corporate ethics training programs, all of which must reflect the relevant principles set out in the Bank Group Integrity Compliance Guidelines.
The companies also commit to continue to fully cooperate with the Bank Group Integrity Vice Presidency. The settlement agreements feature reduced debarment periods due to the companies’ and Mr Didam’s cooperation with the Bank Group’s investigation, voluntary corrective actions, voluntary restraint from participating in Bank Group tenders, and the passage of time.
The debarments of Mr. Didam, Viva Atlantic Limited, and Technology House Limited qualify for cross-debarment by other multilateral development banks under the Agreement for Mutual Enforcement of Debarment Decisions that was signed on April 9, 2010.
