The
Minister of Health, Prof. Isaac Adewole, has extended the suspension of the
Executive Secretary of the National Health Insurance Scheme, Prof Usman Yusuf,
indefinitely.
The
minister had in July suspended Yusuf for three months and set up a committee to
investigate the NHIS boss who was accused of fraud in a series of petitions.
Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo who was the acting President at the time had asked
the minister to investigate Yusuf.
The
committee set up by Adewole comprised senior officials of the ministry, the
Department of State Services and the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other
Related Offences Commission.
Yusuf’s
suspension coincided with an ongoing probe at the House wherein the NHIS boss
had accused Health Management Organisations of frustrating the NHIS and
perpetrating fraud worse than the oil subsidy.
The
House, therefore, saw the suspension as an attempt to intimidate Yusuf and
stifle its probe.
The
committee set up by the minister, however, found that fraud to the tune of
N919m allegedly took place under Yusuf who had spent less than a year in
office. The report was then sent to the President on September 4.
In
a memo with reference number HMH/ABJ/032/Vol.XII/29 which was dated October 5,
2017, the minister informed Yusuf that his suspension which began in July,
would continue until the President acted on the report.
Adewole
said since the report had indicted Yusuf, there was no need for him to return
to office.
The
memo read in part, “Please refer to my earlier letter ref C405/T/132 dated July
6, 2017 suspending you from office for three months to allow for an
uninterrupted administrative investigative committee to look into the various
allegations against you including that of monumental fraud, gross abuse of
office and nepotic acts inimical to the objectives of the NHIS under your
leadership.
“The
committee has since submitted its report which I have forwarded to his
Excellency, Mr. President, for further action.
“While awaiting Mr. President’s directives and
considering that the committee found you culpable in many areas of your
performance as the executive secretary of the scheme, I am further extending
your suspension from the office pending the decision of Mr. President on the
report.”
According
to the panel’s report the N919m was dubiously given as payment to consultants
for staff training under the suspended NHIS boss.
The
committee said as the head of the agency, Yusuf was personally responsible for
all administrative, procurement and financial lapses.
According
to the report, “His (Yusuf’s) deceitful attitude coupled with ‘name dropping’
of Mr. President as having sent him to sanitise the NHIS but he caused more
harm than good to the scheme.”
The
committee, therefore, recommended that the Economic and Financial Crimes
Commission probe the agency for diversion of funds and contravention of the
Procurement Act of 2007.
The
report states that Yusuf contravened the Procurement Act of 2007 through nepotism
and other irregular award of contracts and should be sanctioned in line with
the provision of the Act.
Explaining
how the alleged staff training scam took place, the committee said in some
instances, the number of trainees was far more than the entire number of
employees at the agency while in some other instances, some employees were
registered for the same training in two different states at the same time.
Most
of the consultants were said to have charged about N250, 000 per participant.
The
report states in part, “The total number of staff at the NHIS is 1, 360. The
total number of staff trained by the scheme based on analysis of payment
vouchers on training was 1, 992 while the figure submitted by the NHIS was 2,
023 within three months (October-December 2016).
“The difference between the number of staff
trained and the number of staff on the nominal roll was as a result of
manipulation of names. It was discovered that some staff did not attend
(training) but payments were made for both course fee and staff allowances.”
The
panel alleged that some consultants were directed to remit part of their fees
into a specified private account as kickbacks.
Source: punchng.com
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