AfDB Debars Nigerian Firm For 3 Years Over Fraudulent Practices’

The African Development Bank Group (AfDB) on Wednesday announced the three- year debarment of Maxicare Nig. Ltd, a consulting organisation, over alleged fraud in a road project to connect the northwest region of Cameroon with Nigeria.

The bank, in a statement on its website, said the debarment took effect from February 23, 2021.

AfDB said its office of integrity and anti-corruption conducted an investigation which established that Maxicare engaged in collusive and fraudulent practices during a tender for the construction of weigh stations and supply of equipment under the transport facilitation program for the Bamenda-Mamfe-Abakaliki-Enugu road corridor connecting Cameroon and Nigeria.

The project was co-financed by the African Development Fund, an entity of the AfDB. It is aimed at increasing trade and strengthening cooperation generally between the countries of the Economic Community of Central African States (ECCAS) and those of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), especially between 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,” the statement read.

“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 the condition that it implements an integrity compliance program consistent with the bank’s guidelines.”

In 2020, AfDB announced the debarment of two Nigerian companies  Beulah Universal Link Resources Limited for 36 months and Bluestream Systems and Devices Limited for 12 months.