The World Bank Group has imposed a 30-month debarment on two Nigerian companies, Viva Atlantic Limited and Technology House Limited, along with their Managing Director and CEO, Mr. Norman Bwuruk Didam.
The sanction follows an investigation into fraudulent, collusive, and corrupt activities related to the National Social Safety Nets Project (NSSNP) in Nigeria.
The World Bank stated that the companies and Didam were found to have violated the institution’s Anti-corruption Framework during procurement procedures in 2018.
According to the World Bank’s statement issued on Monday, the violations included misrepresenting a conflict of interest in their bids, obtaining confidential tender information from public officials, and submitting falsified documents.
Specifically, Viva Atlantic Limited and Technology House Limited, under Didam’s leadership, falsified experience records, presented fake manufacturer’s authorization letters, and offered bribes to project officials.
The bank emphasized that these actions were in clear violation of its anti-corruption policies, which resulted in the companies and Didam being banned from participating in World Bank-funded projects for the duration of the 30-month debarment.
As part of the settlement, all involved parties admitted their wrongdoing and have agreed to implement stringent compliance measures aimed at preventing future infractions.
