Two Nigerian firms, Viva Atlantic Limited and Technology House Limited, as well as their Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, Norman Didam, have been placed in a 30-month debarment by the World Bank for alleged fraudulent conduct.
Viva Atlantic Limited, Technology House Limited, and Didam are prohibited from taking part in World Bank Group-financed projects and activities for a period of 30 months. The Washington-based bank stated in a statement that the suspension comes after it was discovered that the National Social Safety Nets Project (NSSNP) in Nigeria was involved in corrupt, collusive, and fraudulent activities.
The text of the statement partially reads: “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,” it added.
The NSSNP was created to improve Nigeria’s social safety net services by giving vulnerable and impoverished households targeted financial transfers, BrandSpur banking and finance news reports.
Viva Atlantic Limited, Technology House Limited, and Didam were involved in the 2018 procurement and subsequent contract processes. However, the bank said that investigations showed significant violations of its Anti-Corruption Framework. The World Bank claims that the firms and Didam engaged in fraudulent and collusive acts by inappropriately accessing private tender information from public authorities and misrepresenting a conflict of interest in their Letter of Bids.
Additionally, it was alleged that Didam and Viva Atlantic Limited filed counterfeit manufacturer’s permission letters and fabricated the company’s experience records. Additionally, they engaged in fraudulent tactics by offering incentives to public officials working on the project. The sanctions, according to the bank, were a direct result of these violations of the World Bank’s Anticorruption Framework.
Continuing, the text of the statement 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,” it added.
According to the statement, as part of settlement agreements with the World Bank, all three parties admitted their fault and committed to strict integrity compliance requirements before being exempted from debarment.
