House Committee Commences  Probe Of Alleged Infractions By Suspended NHIS Executive Secretary

Prof. Yusuf

***Infractions Include budget padding, high handedness

By LINDA IKE, Abuja

The House of Representatives Ad hoc committee on ‘National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) crisis and operations has commenced investigation on the alleged infractions by the suspended Executive Secretary, Professor Usman Yusuf.

Recall that the house had on 24th of October passed a motion to investigate the crisis at the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS).

The resolution  emanated  from a motion of urgent national importance sponsored by  Hon. Diri Douye from Bayelsa State.

Though,  President Muhammadu Buhari has asked the Executive Secretary to step aside pending the out come of investigation.

The chairman of the governing council NHIS, Mrs. Enyatu Ifenne accused Yusuf of corruption, budget padding, non disclosure of vital information, refusal to implement council resolutions and highhandedness.

She said: “As a council, we observed and documented these infractions over nine months. The issues included financial mismanagement, procurement process violations, human resource mismanagement, non discoursure of vital information and refusal to implement council resolutions and policy directives and gross insubordination”.

Mrs Iffenne also revealed that NHIS was operating without an approved budget since March, 2018.

According to her, “Council held meetings and reviewed four different versions of budget and streamlined expenditure down from a % and deficit 80% of projected revenue to 45%. The council removed the N264 million padding discovered in the 2018 budget proposal. We also reduced the N1 billion staff training to N250 million and the Executive Secretary in 2017 spent N919 million for departmental training as well.

She continued, ” We are concerned that NHIS last audited accounts was 2010 making it impossible to determine the true financial position.”

Similarly,  the Chairman, Senior Civil Servants Union (SCSU) Mr. Omomeji Abdurazak explained to the committee that the Executive Secretary misled the council to approving N30 billion residual funds of contributors to the scheme but with the intervention of the union, the approval was averted.

The Union Chairman also insisted that the Executive Secretary must refund the sum of N13 million collected for an aborted trip of the executive secretary and four others to Netherlands.

The chairman also accused the Executive  Secretary of unauthorized expenditure of approved limit of N2.5 million.

He further exposed that the Executive Secretary since assumption of office has divided the staff along ethnic and religious lines.

Responding,, the Executive Secretary, Mr. Usman Yusuf said that he would not to make verbal submission hence he has already submitted his in writing to the committee,  and insisted that he stands by his submission.

On his part, the chairman of ad hoc committee assured parties of fair hearing.

He said: “We were given the mandate to unravel the truth behind the NHIS lingering crisis and that is exactly what we shall do. We don’t intend to witch hunt anyone and everyone involved would be given the opportunity to make their submissions”