A Nigerian company has incurred the wrath of African Development Bank Group for being entangled fraudulent practices. As a result, the Bank Group has blocked the company for three years.
The Bank on April 28 2021, announced a 36-month debarment of Maxicare Company (Nigeria) Limited with effect from last February 23. Maxicare Company (Nigeria) Limited is a limited liability company registered in Nigeria.
An investigation conducted by the Bank’s Office of Integrity and Anti-Corruption established that the Nigerian company engaged in collusive and fraudulent practices during a tender for the construction of weigh stations and supply of equipment under the Transport Facilitation Programme for the Bamenda-Mamfe-Abakaliki-Enugu Road Corridor connecting Cameroon and Nigeria.
The debarment renders Maxicare Company (Nigeria) Limited and its affiliates ineligible to participate in Bank Group-financed projects during the debarment period.
Additionally, the debarment qualifies for cross-debarment by other multilateral development banks under the Agreement for Mutual Enforcement of Debarment Decisions, including the Asian Development Bank, the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, the Inter-American Development Bank and the World Bank Group.
At the expiry of the debarment period, Maxicare Company (Nigeria) Limited will only be eligible to participate in Bank Group-financed projects on condition that it implements an integrity compliance program consistent with the Bank’s guidelines.
The Transport Facilitation Programme for the Bamenda-Mamfe-Abakaliki-Enugu Road Corridor is aimed at increasing trade and strengthening cooperation generally between the countries of the Economic Community of Central African states and those of the Economic Community of West African States and between Cameroon and Nigeria in particular. It was co-financed by the African Development Fund, an entity of the African Development Bank Group.
The Office of Integrity and Anti-Corruption of the Bank Group is however, responsible for preventing, deterring and investigating allegations of corruption, fraud and other sanctionable practices in Bank Group-financed operations.
