AfDB nails Sargittarius Nigeria Limited for fraudulent practices

The African Development Bank (AfDB) has debarred Sargittarius Nigeria Limited and its affiliates for 18 months for fraudulent practices

The debarment renders Sargittarius Nigeria Limited and its affiliates ineligible to participate in Bank Group-financed projects during the debarment period, the Bank said in a press release on today.

The affiliate of the company involved in the mess are Sargittarius Henan Water Conservancy Engineering Limited, with effect from 28 July 2021. Sargittarius Nigeria Limited is a limited liability company registered in the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

An investigation conducted by the Bank’s Office of Integrity and Anti-Corruption established that Sargittarius Nigeria Limited engaged in fraudulent practices during tenders for the construction of water infrastructure in Ibadan, Nigeria, under the Urban Water Supply and Sanitation Improvement Project in Nigeria.

“The debarment renders Sargittarius 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,” the AfDB has said.

It added that at the expiry of the debarment period, Sargittarius Nigeria Limited will only be eligible to resume participation in African Development Bank Group-financed projects on condition that it implements an integrity compliance program consistent with the Bank’s guidelines.

It further stated that the Urban Water Supply and Sanitation Improvement Project is aimed at improving access to safe water supply and sanitation services in the cities of Ibadan and Jalingo, in the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

The Project is co-financed by the African Development Fund, an entity of the African Development Bank Group, and the Government of Nigeria, it said.