Alleged N850m Fraud: Senate Probes NHIS
BY AMOS DUNIA, ABUJA – Following allegation of massive fraud running into hundreds of millions of Naira and executive recklessness leveled against the Executive Secretary of the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS), Professor Usman Yusuf, the Senate on Tuesday constituted a committee to look into the wrong doings taking place in the scheme.
Forefront magazine in its current edition unraveled some financial improprieties and executive arbitrariness being perpetrated by Professor Yusuf since he assumed office as Executive Secretary of the scheme.
The Senate arrived at its decision to commence probe of the allegation of fraud, following a motion sponsored by Senator Kabiru Marafa in which he urged the upper legislative chamber to, as a matter of urgency, quickly come to the rescue of NHIS from “the grip of Professor Yusuf that was recently appointed as the Executive Secretary.
Senator Marafa accused Prof Yusuf of carrying out scandalous activities in the agency since his appointment, stressing that the new Executive Secretary of the NHIS usually over shoot his approved approval limit and allegedly involved in corrupt expenditure up to the tune of N860 million.
In his contribution to the motion, Senator Mao Ohuabuwa (Abia North), urged the Senate to immediately swing into action to bring the Executive Secretary to work in line with the law.
In his comment, shortly before he hit the garvel, Deputy President of the Senate, Ike Ekweremadu, who presided over plenary, urged his colleagues to give the Executive Secretary, Prof Yusuf, the benefit of fair hearing.
