Due to suspected corrupt acts, the World Bank has placed two Nigerian companies, Viva Atlantic Limited and Technology House Limited, along with their managing director and chief executive officer, Norman Didam, under a 30-month debarment.
The 30-month debarment prevents Didam, Viva Atlantic Limited, and Technology House Limited from taking part in operations and projects funded by the World Bank Group.
The suspension comes after allegations of corrupt, collusive, and fraudulent activities related to the National Social Safety Nets Project (NSSNP) in Nigeria, according to a statement from the Washington-based bank.
The World Bank Group today announced the 30-month debarment of two Nigerian firms, Viva Atlantic Limited and Technology House Limited, together with their chief executive officer and managing director, Mr. Norman Bwuruk Didam, according to the announcement.
“The debarment relates to practices that were allegedly fraudulent, collusive, and corrupt as part of Nigeria’s National Social Safety Nets Project.”
In order to strengthen Nigeria’s social safety net services, the NSSNP was created to give targeted financial transfers to low-income and vulnerable households.
But the bank noted that the 2018 procurement and subsequent contract processes involving Didam, Viva Atlantic Limited, and Technology House Limited had major violations of its Anti-Corruption Framework, according to investigations.
The World Bank claims that the firms and Didam engaged in fraudulent and collusive actions by inaccurately disclosing a conflict of interest in their Letter of Bids and inappropriately obtaining private tender information from public officials.
Didam and Viva Atlantic Limited were also accused of submitting counterfeit manufacturer’s authorization letters and fabricating the company’s experience records. Additionally, they offered incentives to public officials who were working on the project, which was considered corrupt.
According to the bank, the sanctions were imposed because these infractions directly violated the guidelines set forth in the World Bank’s Anticorruption Framework.
According to the statement, “Based on 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, Mr. Didam, Technology House Limited, and Viva Atlantic Limited received confidential tender information from public officials and misrepresented a conflict of interest in their Letter of Bids, which constituted collusive practices and fraudulent practices, respectively.”
Additionally, Viva Atlantic Limited and Mr. Didam filed forged manufacturer’s authorization letters, deceived Viva Atlantic Limited’s experience, and offered and supplied valuable items to project public officials. These were corrupt and fraudulent practices, respectively.
The statement noted that all three parties admitted their fault and agreed to strict integrity compliance requirements as a condition of being removed from debarment as part of settlement agreements with the World Bank.
