The African Development Bank (AfDB) has removed Sargittarius Nigeria Limited and its affiliates from its sanction list.
The bank had imposed penalties on several companies because of its investigation into procurement processes linked to the Urban Water Supply and Sanitation improvement Project in Oyo and Taraba States in 2014 and 2016.
The company noted that the issues relating to the infractions in the bid submissions were related to errors in two bidding forms, while the correct originating and supporting documents were attached to the bids, each running into over 600 pages.
The company maintained throughout the process that the errors were inadvertent, not fraudulent, and did not confer any advantage, particularly as it did not win the bids.
Sargittarius Nigeria Limited fully cooperated with AfDB’s Office of Integrity and Anti-Corruption during the investigation, providing all requested documentation and clarifications.
The errors had also been identified and corrected internally through the company’s control processes well before the commencement of the AfDB investigation.
In line with best practices, the company has since developed and implemented an integrity compliance programme and continues to engage proactively with development partners to strengthen its governance and compliance frameworks.
Reacting to the development, an official of Sargittarius Nigeria Limited stated that the company was pleased that this unfortunate incident was now over, and further affirms the company’s track record of integrity and ethical business practice.
This brings closure to the matter and reinforces AfDB’s commitment to due process, as well as the importance of transparency and accountability in projects financed by development institutions.
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