Nigeria’s health sector in focus as allegations rock NHIS

Claims of opaque relationship between Usman Yusuf, suspended Executive Secretary of the National Health Insurance Scheme and Chike Okafor, chairman House Committee on Health are rocking the boat as Nigeria’s health sector comes under renewed focus.

Among the most recent costs of this opaque relationship is an alleged disbursement of the sum of N250 million to Okafor by Yusuf “in a bid to keep his position following his suspension over several allegations and petitions of corruption and gross misconduct levelled against him” a source familiar with the matter said.

Following Yusuf’s recent suspension, Isaac Adewole, Minister of Health has approved the suspension of eight other officials of the scheme and the Federal Ministry of Health recently set up an investigative committee to probe the allegations against senior officials of the scheme.

The affected officers include Olufemi Akingbade, General Manager, Zonal Coordinator South-South Zone; John Okon, General Manager, Finance Account, Yusuf Fatika the General Manager, Human Resources and Administration,    and  Shehu Adamu, Assistant General Manager, Audit.

Others are Vincent Mamdam, Assistant General Manager, Head Insurance; Safiyanu Attah Senior Assistant Officer, Marketing; Owen Udo Udoma, Senior Manager, Contribution Management, and Innocent Abbah Senior Assistant Officer, Planning Research and Monitoring.

Adewole said the suspension is to enable the committee set up to investigate “remain focused, fair and transparent in the discharge of this National task despite the sensation this development has generated.” Attahiru Ibrahim, Acting Executive Secretary of the NHIS, has also been directed to ensure the immediate implementation of the suspension order.

One of the claims against Yusuf is that since his resumption, he has awarded several contracts above approved limits. “Ordinarily, heads of agencies in Nigeria have a N2.5 million limit and would need to seek ministerial approval, after due process before any contracts and payments are made. Yusuf wilfully ignores this and is often overlooked by the minister of health, Adewole, who seems to be helpless because of the audacity and Yusuf’s potential backers” a source said.

In a letter dated May 19, 2017, titled ‘Update On Recent Happenings in the Scheme’, Yusuf stated “While I welcome scrutiny of all NHIS stakeholders, these frivolous petitions are nothing but distractions from my quest of ridding NHIS of corruption and working for the voiceless enrollee.”

“It is on record that I am the first Executive Secretary of the NHIS that has visited all security and anti-corruption agencies (DSS, ICPC, EFCC, Nigeria Police, Code of Conduct Bureau) seeking their assistance in flushing corruption out of NHIS, recovering all stolen NHIS funds and bringing all past perpetrators to justice” Yusuf wrote.

According an official within the NHIS upon his appointment as Executive Secretary on 29 July, 2016, Yusuf immediately embarked on the redeployment of a select number of top level management staff to various zonal offices across the country. “He single-handedly brought 15 people on secondment from various government agencies and placed them a General Managers within the organisation without due process or involvement of the human resources unit. He was queried on this issue by the ministry of health after petitions from various staff at the NHIS and he backed down” the source said.