…Panel settled with N19m after my indictment, allegations against me recycled- Yusuf
…Health Ministry: He was suspended over financial recklessness, other infractions
…Reps c’ttee summons SGF, CBN
The embattled Executive Secretary of the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS), Prof. Usman Yusuf, on Friday, alleged that his suspension was effected because he refused to release N975 million to the Ministry of Health.
But the Health Ministry insisted on Friday at the continued investigative hearing by the House of Representatives ad hoc committee looking into the crisis rocking the health insurance scheme that the suspended executive secretary was hammered because of financial improprieties.
Meanwhile, the House ad hoc committee has summoned the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Boss Mustapha and the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to testify about goings on at the NHIS.
In his testimony before the panel, Yusuf revealed that the crisis rocking the NHIS started when he turned down the ministry’s request for funds.
He informed the committee that “this led to the setting up of a panel to probe me and the panel delivered as the panelists were given N19 million and even the security too were given money.”
Asked whether he has any evidence, Yusuf responded in the affirmative, declaring that “l even have documented evidence of how the money was shared.”
He described his suspension by the governing board as a coup against transparency, saying it was done to prevent him from exposing high level corruption at the agency.
According to him, he was suspended on October 18, 2018 because it was the day he was due to present to the board a report of the violation of the Public Procurement Act in the handling of public funds at the agency.
The executive secretary further alleged that he was also expected to present before the board a forensic result of the activities of HMOs suspended as well as a report of the NHIS performance.
He said, “Why was I suspended on October 18 and not 19th of October? On the 18th of October was the day I was going to present a result of the forensic audit of the activities of HMOs.
“18th of October was nothing but preemptive coup at the NHIS. It was a gang up to stop my fight against corruption,” he stated.
Yusuf challenged the committee to invite the ICPC and the EFCC, saying that the two anti-graft agencies had given him a clean bill of health on the same allegations being leveled against him, insisting that “all the allegations were recycled.”
He further disclosed that, “Due to the criminal nature of these allegations, there are anti-graft agencies such as the EFCC and the ICPC and I would like this honourable committee to invite them.
“These are all allegations that have been recycled. They were all investigated by the ICPC and EFCC and they found nothing, and I was cleared. They wrote to me clearing me.”
But the Health Minister, Prof. Isaac Adewole, who was represented by the Permanent Secretary, Abdulaziz Abdulahi, in his submission, asserted that the executive secretary was suspended for his financial recklessness and his refusal to follow due process.
He listed more than 10 infractions, including the approval of N210 million contract for electronic media and how he, Yusuf, single-handedly made his brother the media consultant to NHIS.
“All the allegations levelled against him are 100 per cent correct as all the panel’s recommendations were perpetuated.
“The suspended executive secretary did not carry out his statutory functions as an accounting officer pursuant to Section 20(1) and (2) of the Public Procurement Act, 2007, he stated.
In his presentation, Chairman, National Civil Service Union, Mr. Shehu Gajo, noted that “the executive secretary was not given fair hearing as the Association of Senior Civil Servants is fond of frustrating all executive secretaries of the agency.
“Right from the days of Femi Thomas when the agency was created, the association once management fails to meet up to its bidding will crash such a management,” Gajo said.
But, Chairman of the ad hoc committee, Hon Nicholas Ossai, countered him, declaring that “l warned earlier that I do not want biased papers here, your paper on this issue is biased.”
He, thereafter, directed the secretariat of the panel to summon the SGF and CBN to give details concerning all their transactions with the NHIS.
The hearing is billed to continue on a date yet to be determined.
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