NHIS As A Government Agency Should Comply With Rules Of Engagement – AGF

BY GLORIA USMAN, ABUJA – The Accountant-General of the Federation, Ahmed Idris said that the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) as a public institution must be subjected to rules of engagement.

Idris, who stated this when he received in audience the management of the NHIS led by its Executive Secretary, Professor Mohammed Nasir Sambo that were on an advocacy visit to the Treasury House, also said that the NHIS is expected to key into all financial policies as long as it remains a public institution.  

While congratulating the NHIS Executive Secretary, Prof Sambo on his appointment, Idris wished him a successful tenure free of rancour and labour unrest.

Idris further said; “The OAGF is the driver of a number of public finance initiatives for the government like the Treasury Single Account (TSA), Government Integrated Financial Management Information System (GIFMIS), a platform for making payment and preparing budget as well as Integrated Personnel Payroll Information System (IPPIS), a platform for paying salaries of Federal Government employees and other reform initiatives. 

“The OAGF equally services the economy in terms of making releases to the three tiers of Government, namely, the Federal, State and Local Government and every other thing that revolves around resources.

“The OAGF also pays local debt to contractors and other oversight duties to MDA’s including NHIS. The OAGF is the live wire of the economy because everything involves finances with appropriate approval.

“We will continue to play our role to give you releases as at when due. If there are issues beyond your comprehension, our doors are always open to resolve such issues.”

Idris therefore advised the management of the NHIS to get enrolled into IPPIS soonest as it is the only platform to payroll Federal Government employees.

He posited that NHIS investment request should be made known, adding that accommodation in the TSA is so robust by working side by side with the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).

The AGF also advised the NHIS management against investing in banks for now owing to the present bank rates.

He said that NHIS issues with Aso Savings and Loan Limited would have been averted if OAGF was carried along in the transactions, adding that the OAGF need to populate the NHIS account department with Treasury officers to avoid some financial consequences.

Idris promised to assist the NHIS to get back their money from Aso Savings and Loans Limited, adding that the issue of merger will be looked into to confirm the truth.

Earlier, the NHIS Executive Secretary, Prof Sambo said the NHIS is one of the most important versatile agencies providing support to the people in terms of health care.

In his words; “In every developmental agenda, global health is important, hence NHIS is the organ given the responsibility to handle health care in Nigeria.

Sambo said that the Federal Government took a drastic decision to establish a presidential fact finding team in other to improve health sector as well as a white paper which involved the Ministry of Health and the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation to look into details of the financial situation of NHIS.

He said that one of the aims of NHIS is to achieve universal health coverage and also to ensure that the vote of NHIS is viable to capture the most vulnerable in the society.

The NHIS boss said that Government will not be able to finance the health institution of the masses alone and therefore solicited the assistance of the AGF to help look into the financial system of the NHIS for smooth running of the scheme and for the realisation of its mandate.