World Bank
World Bank wields hammer on two Nigerian companies over alleged corrupt practices fraud
The World Bank has wielded the hammer barring two Nigerian companies, Viva Atlantic Limited and Technology House Limited, alongside their Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, Norman Didam, for 30 months over alleged corrupt practices.
Effectively, Atlantic Limited, Technology House Limited, and Didam are barred for 30-month period from participating in World Bank Group-financed projects and operations.
In a statement, the World Bank explained that the sanction follows discovery of fraudulent, collusive and corrupt practices connected to the National Social Safety Nets Project (NSSNP) in Nigeria.
According to the statement, “The World Bank Group today announced the 30-month debarment of two Nigeria-based companies, Viva Atlantic Limited and Technology House Limited, and their Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer Mr Norman Bwuruk Didam.
“The debarment is in connection with alleged fraudulent, collusive and corrupt practices as part of the National Social Safety Nets Project in Nigeria.”
Indeed, Nigeria created the NSSNP to enhance Nigeria’s social safety net systems by providing targeted financial transfers to poor and vulnerable households.
But the World Bank said it found serious breaches of its Anti-Corruption Framework in the 2018 procurement and subsequent contract processes involving Viva Atlantic Limited, Technology House Limited, and Didam.
The bank further stated that the companies and Didam misrepresented a conflict of interest in their Letter of Bids and improperly accessed confidential tender information from public officials, constituting fraudulent and collusive practices.
Viva Atlantic Limited and Didam were also indicted to have falsified the company’s experience records and submitted forged manufacturer’s authorisation letters, apart from providing inducements to public officials involved in the project, which qualified as corrupt practices.
Consequently, the bank said these violations directly contravened the principles outlined in the World Bank’s Anticorruption Framework, prompting the sanctions.
The statement further reads: “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 Limited, Technology House Limited, and Mr Didam 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.
“Further, Viva Atlantic Limited and Mr Didam misrepresented Viva Atlantic Limited’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 fraudulent and corrupt practices, respectively.”
The statement said as part of settlement agreements with the World Bank, all three parties acknowledged their culpability and agreed to stringent integrity compliance conditions as a prerequisite for being released from debarment.