Board opens probe as NHIS boss is suspended again

NATIONAL Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) Executive Secretary Usman Yusuf has been suspended indefinitely by its governing council.

The council’s chairperson, Dr. Ifenne Enyanatu, announced the suspension at a media briefing in Abuja yesterday after a two-day closed door meeting.

Sadiq Abubakar has been appointed to act in his place.

This is the second time that Yusuf is being placed on suspension.

In July last year, Minister of Health Prof. Isaac Adewole placed him on suspension to allow for administrative investigation, following a directive from Vice President Yemi Osinbajo (who was then the Acting President)  that Yusuf be investigated over many allegations of mismanagement against him.

He was, however, reinstated in February by President Muhammadu Buhari without any recourse to the suspension and the allegations.

The latest suspension, Dr. Enyanatu argued, was based on various petitions and infractions against Yusuf.

Consequently, she said an administrative panel would be set up to examine allegations levelled against the executive secretary.

The panel, she said, would spend three months to complete its assignment and report back to the council.

The reason for the suspension, she added, is to allow the panel an “unfettered” space to do a thorough investigation.

But, efforts to get Yusuf’s reaction on the suspension were futile yesterday.

Reporters initially learnt he would address a news conference and they waited till yesterday evening. He was nowhere to be found.

Also, the executive secretary did not respond to phone calls.

Addressing reporters at the NHIS headquarters, Dr. Enyanatu said: “The council has met. We have been inundated with petitions. We also observed some executive infractions that we cannot ignore, especially in administration that is committed to transparency and accountability like Muhammadu Buhari’s administration.

“So, with detailed examination or review of some of these documents, the council has made some landmark decisions. The first decision is that we have resolved to constitute an administrative panel of investigation immediately to examine the issues at stake.

“This administrative panel has three months to complete its assignment and report back to council to decide on way forward.

“Also, council resolved that the NHIS executive secretary is suspended indefinitely. The reason is to allow the panel unencumbered, unfettered space to do a thorough investigation.

Council also resolved that the Acting Executive-Secretary now is Mallam Sadiq Adamu Abubakar. Also, I want you to know that we consulted and got the approval of the Minister of Health before we came to this decision.”

When asked if the council has such power, Dr. Enyanatu said: “Our power is derived from the law. We based our decisions on the provisions of the law. We based our decision on the provisions of the law that allow NHIS governing council to take expedite and appropriate actions to make sure that the objectives of the scheme are achieved.”

Also responding to the question of what the council would do, should the Presidency overrule its decision and reinstate him as it did earlier, Dr. Enyanatu said she didn’t envisage such an action.

But, a document made available to reporters by the council detailed alleged offences of the suspended Executive Secretary, which include: Alleged fraudulent inflation of the cost of biometric capturing machines.

The 2018 budget proposal submitted by the executive secretary included the procurement of biometric capturing machines at a unit cost of N11,500,000, whereas, the market cost is only between N700,000 and N1,400,000, depending on specifications.

When council finance committee requested for more information and vendor presentation to justify the astronomical cost, the executive secretary blatantly refused to oblige.

It was alleged that the ICT project cost escalated, without justification, by 242 per cent from N7,783,185,805.37 in 2015 to N18,864,676,612.85 in 2016 and N14,975,032,572.30 in 2018.

Unfortunately, the ICT project, which should significantly improve operational efficiency and service delivery, is stalled because the executive secretary alleged denied council critical information required for decision-making on the project.

Summary of other crimes allegedly committed by him, according to the council, are: “Attempt to illegally execute N30 billion investment bonds; unlawful staff postings and willful defiance of council directive, willful refusal to implement council directive on the disbanding of illegal union, unauthorised staff travel in defiance of council directive, superfluous arrogation of project vehicles, insubordinate conduct by the executive secretary, failure to provide leadership for the development of a strategic plan for the agency despite council’s directive, plethora of petitions against the executive secretary.”

The council also stated in the document that every effort to make Yusuf to revert to what was agreed upon was not adhered to.

It added:  “Some highlights of the required amendments include N264 million padding discovered in the budget proposal; reduction of the 2018 training budget from over N1 billion to a realistic N250 million to avoid the training stampede in 2017 when N919,664,800 was spent, in just three months, without needs assessment and departmental training plans.”