CSO Rebukes Health Minister Over Suspension Of NHIS Boss

The Amalgamated Network of Civil Society Organisation in Nigeria (ANOSCOIN) has strongly rebuked the honorable ministers of health, Professor Isaac Adewale for unlawfully arrogating power to himself.

ANOSCOIN’s rebuke followed the suspension of the executive secretary of National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS), Professor Usman Yusuf by Professor Adewale.

Elombah.com had, on July 7 reported that the NHIS boss was axed by the Minister over alleged fraudulent acts in the health insurance scheme running into N292 million.

Thereafter, the Federal Government appointed Mallam Attahiru Ibrahim as the NHIS Acting Executive Secretary. 

However, the House of Representatives annulled the suspension and recalled the embattled NHIS Executive Secretary.

The lawmakers slammed the Minister, saying that Yusuf’s suspension was an attempt to intimidate and punish him for testifying on issues of corruption in the sector.

In this latest statement signed by its Chancellor, Emeka Oraetoka and Secretary, Ipalibo Hart, ANOSCOIN lambasted Adewale for arrogating power to himself, without recourse to the Constitution.

The statement reads: 

We, in Amalgamated Network of Civil Society Organisation in Nigeria (ANOSCOIN), are compelled to react to the troubling happening in the health sector. 

More than anything else, this important sector deserves peace at this point of our national development. 

What started in the social media that Presidency suspended the executive secretary of National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) on the 7th of July 2017, has now been confirmed, except that the suspension was not done by Presidency, but the honourable minister of health.

 We strongly condemn the manner in which the honorable ministers of health, Professor Isaac Adewale, arrogated the power to suspend to himself, without recourse to the Constitution, Civil Service Rule and the law establishing National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) in the suspension of its executive secretary, Professor Usman Yusuf.

ANOSCOIN is aware that the executive secretary of NHIS is of equal status with the chairman of Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC). 

What this means is that NHIS is extra-ministerial department, and as such, only the President can suspend or fire its executive secretary. 

The excuse by the ministry that Professor Yusuf is a public servant and as such, guided by public service regulations, and that NHIS is an agency supervised by the ministry; is at best, illogical and unattainable. 

Is the minister telling Nigerians that the minister of justice can suspend the chairman of EFCC?

The other leg of excuse for the suspension of the executive secretary is either born out of ignorance of the law or pure mischief. 

Since the law did not give the minister the power to suspend for whatever reason, we wonder why the minister claimed the suspension was to allow for uninterrupted investigation into corruption allegations against the executive secretary.

The minister’s desperation to remove Professor Usman Yusuf from office at all cost makes comprehensive investigation of the activities of the minister in the financial affairs of NHIS imperative. 

The reports that Usman ordeals in the hand of the minister steam from the fact that he refused to make NHIS’s money available for spending by the authorities in the ministry of health; should be thoroughly investigated.

We hereby urge the Acting President (AP), Professor Yemi Osinbajo (SAN), to intervene in the needless crisis precipitated by the minister’s naked use of power which relevant laws of Nigeria did not assign to him.

Further, we implore the AP to order full investigation of corrupt meddling in the affairs of NHIS by the minister of health. 

We respectively urge the AG to direct the minister of health to recall the suspended executive secretary of NHIS with immediate effect.

The government of President Muhammadu Buhari should not be saddled with more problem as it is trying to contend with many challenges already. This crisis is needless.

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