The World Bank Group has announced a 30-month debarment of two Nigerian companies—Viva Atlantic Limited and Technology House Limited—alongside their Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, Mr. Norman Bwuruk Didam. The sanctions are linked to fraudulent, collusive, and corrupt practices associated with the National Social Safety Nets Project (NSSNP) in Nigeria.
The NSSNP, aimed at providing financial assistance to poor and vulnerable households, was compromised during a 2018 procurement process, the World Bank revealed in a statement issued on Monday. According to the bank, the violations by the companies and Mr. Didam included misrepresenting conflicts of interest, falsifying company experience, and obtaining confidential tender information from public officials.
The World Bank disclosed that Viva Atlantic Limited and Mr. Didam falsified experience records, submitted fake manufacturer authorization letters, and offered inducements to project officials, actions classified as corrupt practices under the bank’s Anti-Corruption Framework.
“The debarment is in connection with fraudulent, collusive, and corrupt practices as part of the National Social Safety Nets Project in Nigeria,” the statement read. “These actions undermined the integrity of the initiative designed to benefit Nigeria’s most vulnerable populations.”
Additionally, the companies and Mr. Didam admitted to their culpability and cooperated during the investigation. As part of a settlement agreement, they committed to implementing compliance measures, including corporate ethics training programs in line with the World Bank’s Integrity Compliance Guidelines.
The sanctions prevent Viva Atlantic Limited, Technology House Limited, and Mr. Didam from participating in World Bank-financed projects and operations for 30 months. To reduce the debarment period, the parties cooperated with the investigation, took corrective actions, imposed voluntary restraints, and acknowledged the violations.
The settlement mandates Mr. Didam to undergo individual ethics training. Meanwhile, the companies must enhance their internal compliance policies and establish corporate ethics training programs.
The debarment also qualifies for cross-debarment by other multilateral development banks under the 2010 Agreement for Mutual Enforcement of Debarment Decisions, the statement noted.
Reiterating its zero-tolerance approach to corruption, the World Bank emphasized its dedication to ensuring transparency and accountability in development projects. “The sanctions demonstrate our firm commitment to protecting development initiatives from corrupt practices,” the bank stated.
The NSSNP is one of several projects under the World Bank’s purview aimed at reducing poverty and promoting social inclusion in Nigeria.
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