EXCLUSIVE: More Heads To Roll In NHIS

Following the recent suspension of the Executive Secretary, National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS), Professor Usman Yusuf, by the Minister of Health, Professor Isaac Adewole, sources confided in Forefront on Monday that no fewer than four top officials of the Agency may be suspended this week to pave way for a thorough probe of all allegations preferred against the embattled NHIS boss and management.

According to a reliable source, the planned suspension of the NHIS top guns is to allow for an unfettered probe of alleged financial improprieties and abuse of due process that have pitched staffers and critical stakeholders against the suspended NHIS boss.

Officials likely to be swept off their privileged positions, our source disclosed, are the former Acting Executive Secretary, who is now the South-south Zonal Coordinator of the Scheme, Mr Femi Akingbade; General Manager (Finance), Mr John Okoh; Head of Audit, Mr Shehu Adamu;  and General Manager (Human Resources), Mr Lawal Fatika.

“I can authoritatively confide in you that plans have been completed to suspend four top guns of the NHIS. The sole reason is to give way for an unfettered probe of all allegations contained in several petitions against Yusuf and some of his top management staff within the period of one year that he was in charge.

“You are aware that Mr Akingbade was accused of graft, just as the GM Finance was alleged to have played a role in the disbursement of the whopping sum of N800 million for trainings, apart from N210  million that was approved for electronic media project.

“The understanding here is that it will be an act of injustice for Yusuf to be suspended alone without others being subjected to same disciplinary measures to allow for uninterrupted investigation. Top officials of the Ministry of Health are meeting to ensure the suspension of others, who were alleged to have played roles worthy of investigation, is duly effected. Within this week, four of these top officials will be issued their suspension letters,” the source disclosed.

Meanwhile, the Ministry has approved the appointment of Adamu Attahiru Ibrahim as the new Acting Executive Secretary. He is an Economics graduate from Niger State Before his elevation as Acting ES on Friday, he was the General Manager in charge of Contribution Management Department.