The World Bank Group has declared a 30-month ban on two Nigerian companies, Viva Atlantic Limited and Technology House Limited, along with their Managing Director and CEO, Norman Didam, due to their involvement in fraudulent, collusive, and corrupt conduct.
This debarment is linked to unethical actions encountered during the National Social Safety Nets Project (NSSNP) in Nigeria, which aims to assist impoverished and vulnerable households. Issues arose during the procurement and contract processes in 2018. A recent statement revealed that both firms and Didam misrepresented conflicts of interest, gained access to sensitive tender information, falsified their experience credentials, and submitted counterfeit manufacturer authorizations. They were also implicated in offering bribes to officials overseeing the project.
In a press release from the Washington-based institution, the findings of misconduct associated with the NSSNP were outlined. The release stated, “The World Bank Group has announced a 30-month debarment of two Nigerian firms—Viva Atlantic Limited and Technology House Limited—along with their Managing Director and CEO, Mr. Norman Bwuruk Didam. This action stems from fraudulent, collusive, and corrupt activities related to the National Social Safety Nets Project in Nigeria.”
The NSSNP was initiated to strengthen Nigeria’s social safety net systems by delivering targeted financial aid to needy populations. Nonetheless, investigations revealed significant violations of the World Bank’s Anticorruption Framework during the 2018 procurement and contract dealings involving the two companies and Didam.
The World Bank reported that the companies and Didam misrepresented a conflict of interest in their bids and improperly accessed confidential information from government officials, which constitutes both fraudulent and collusive behaviors. Furthermore, Viva Atlantic Limited and Didam were found to have fabricated experience records and submitted falsified manufacturer authorization letters. They also offered incentives to officials associated with the project, qualifying as corrupt actions.
These infractions directly violated the principles set forth in the World Bank’s Anticorruption Framework, leading to the imposed sanctions. The statement emphasized that, according to the case’s specifics and overarching principles of the World Bank’s Anticorruption Framework, the misrepresentation of conflicts of interest in bid submissions and the unauthorized access to confidential tender information represented fraudulent and collusive practices. Additionally, the submission of falsified experience records and the offering of valuable inducements to project officials were identified as fraudulent and corrupt practices.
