Tech

World Bank suspends Nigerian tech company, Softech IT Solutions, MD, for corrupt practice

Published

3 years ago

March 31, 2022

The World Bank has suspended a Nigerian information technology solution company, SoftTech IT Solutions and Services Ltd., and its Managing Director, Isah Kantigi, for alleged corrupt practices.

While the tech company was sanctioned for 50 months, its MD was sanctioned for 60 months.

In a statement published on the bank’s website on Wednesday announcing the debarring of the tech company and its MD, titled “World Bank Group debars SoftTech IT Solutions and Services Ltd. and its managing director,” the bank disclosed that the firm and its MD were being sanctioned for improper payments made to certain officials of the National Social Safety Nets Project, which the bank saw as bribery.

“The World Bank Group today announced the 50-month debarment of SoftTech IT Solutions and Services Ltd., an information technology solutions company based in Nigeria, and the 60-month debarment of its managing director, in connection with corrupt practices as part of the National Social Safety Nets Project in Nigeria,” the statement reads.

Part of the sanctions also stipulates that for the period the suspension will last, neither the company nor Katingi will be able to engage in any project funded by the World Bank.

“SoftTech and Mr. Isah Salihu Kantigi, are now ineligible to engage in World Bank Group-funded projects and operations,” the statement added.

The IT firm which specializes in Big Data and Cloud Solutions, Geographic Information Systems and Mapping, Information Retrieval and Search Engines, according to the bank, had breached the “Agreement for Mutual Enforcement of Debarment Decisions,” which was signed on April 9, 2010, and as a result, both “are eligible for cross-debarment by other multilateral development banks (MDBs).”

It added that Kantigi also worked out a deal with other individual consultants, allowing them to make similar payments to project officials, an act the Bank frowns at and sees as
a corrupt practice.

“This constitutes a corrupt practice under the World Bank’s Anti-Corruption Guidelines. The settlement agreements provide for reduced periods of debarment in light of Mr. Kantigi’s and SoftTech’s cooperation and acknowledgement of the misconduct.

Related Topics:Bribery Featured Sanctions Softech IT Solutions World Bank

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Tech

Kenya’s ticketing startup BuuPass partners Flexpay for flexible travel payments

Published

3 days ago

December 19, 2024

Isaac Dachen

Kenyan digital ticketing startup, BuuPass, has entered into a partnership with goal-based savings platform, Flexpay, to offer customers flexible payment plans ahead of holiday travels as well as simplify travel planning and ease the financial burden of holiday travel for Kenyans.

Co-founder and CEO at Buupass, Sonia Kabra, who unveiled the package at a press conference, said the collaboration between the two platforms will allow travellers to save for their journeys in manageable, interest-free installments over four to 12 weeks.

“Travelers can select their travel dates, book tickets, and pay a small deposit upfront, with the remaining balance spread across weekly or monthly payments,” she said.

“This approach offers a stress-free way for families and large groups to secure their tickets early, helping them avoid last-minute price hikes as fares are locked in.

“By partnering with Flexpay, we’re giving travelers the flexibility to budget for their trips in advance. This initiative aligns with our mission to make travel accessible to everyone, providing a solution that meets customers where they are financially,” said Kabra.

Also speaking at the event, Richard Machomba, CEO and founder of Flexpay, said:

“Flexpay’s mission is to empower individuals by providing accessible financial solutions that make it easier for them to achieve their financial goals.

“By partnering with BuuPass, we’re making travel more accessible and stress-free for Kenyans, especially during the holiday season when expenses can be overwhelming,” Machomba added.

Founded in 2016 by Kabra and Wyclife Omondi, BuuPass is a B2B2C mobility marketplace that enables users to search, compare, and book travel tickets via web, app, or USSD, while its SaaS platform helps bus operators manage their operations, inventory, and sales.

FlexPay, on the other hand, is an online and offline payment gateway that allows merchants to offer interest-free targeted savings to their customers in Africa.

Tech

DR Congo sues tech giant Apple over illegal mineral exploitation

Published

4 days ago

December 18, 2024

Isaac Dachen

The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), has filed a criminal case against the European subsidiaries of tech giant, Apple, accusing them of illegal mineral exploitation and allegedly using “blood minerals” in its supply chain.

In the suit filed on Tuesday, the DRC alleges that Apple has bought contraband supplies from the country’s conflict-ladden east and Rwanda, zones in which it allege the materials are mined illegally and then integrated into global supply chains before ending up in tech devices.

The DRC suit specifically mentioned Apple subsidiaries in France and Belgium, accusing the tech giant of using conflict minerals in its supply chain.

The DRC is a major source of tin, tantalum, and tungsten which are used in electronic devices, with some mines controlled by armed groups responsible for human rights violations.

International lawyers representing the African country’s government have accused Apple’s local subsidiaries of taking these minerals from conflict areas and laundering them through international supply chains, with one lawyer telling journalists that Belgium had a moral duty to act given its history of exploiting the country’s resources under colonial rule.

However, in its response, Apple claims it conducts supplier audits and does not directly source primary minerals.

https://www.thenews.com.pk/print/1262670-dr-congo-sues-apple-over-alleged-illegal-mineral-exploitation