NHIS fraud allegation: FG receives investigative panel’s report

THE Federal Government on Monday received the report of the seven-man committee set up to investigate allegations of fraud against the Executive Secretary of the National Health Insurance Scheme, Professor Usman Yusuf, with a pledge to implement the recommendations accordingly.

Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Mr Boss Mustapha, received the report of Presidential Independent Fact-Finding Panel on National Health Insurance Scheme (PIFFP-NHIS) from the chairman of the panel, Dr Bukar Hassan, for onward transmission to President Muhammadu Buhari.

Details of the report were not made available to journalists but the SGF said the decision of the government on the recommendations of the Panel would be made public at the appropriate time.

It would be recalled that the Chairman on the NHIS Board, Ifenne Enyanatu, had on October 18, said it had suspended the Executive Secretary after obtaining permission from the Minister of Health, Prof. Isaac Adewole.

However, in a dramatic turnout, a day after the pronouncement, Yusuf defied the Governing Council and resumed at the headquarters of the NHIS in Abuja with the support of policemen.

President Buhari, however, intervened into the impasse with the constitution of the investigative panel on November 2, 2018.

The committee was given two weeks to complete its assignment but the chairman of the committee, Dr Hassan while presenting the report to SGF,  said the delay was as a result of the large volume of documents to look into as well as a number of stakeholders to interact with.

He lamented that despite efforts by the government to discourage internal crisis within the Parastatals, especially between Governing Councils and the management, different scales of skirmishes continue to erupt from boardrooms into the public domain.

He said: “The Federal Government approved the constitution and inauguration of Boards and Governing Councils of its Parastatals in March 2018. During the inauguration, Government emphasized key areas on the powers and responsibilities of the Boards.

“Government similarly harped on the essence of the good working relationship between the Boards and the Management while ensuring that the day-to-day operations were not interfered with.

“In order to bring new Board members and their Chief Executives up to speed on current policies and programmes of government as well as legislation guiding ways of conducting Government business, broad-based induction courses were organized.

“As at date, over 60 Agencies in four batches, have benefited from such induction courses. The NHIS was in the first batch of the induction course.

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“With particular reference to the situation at NHIS, the government regards the Scheme as critical to its promise to Nigerians that they would enjoy qualitative and affordable healthcare,” he said.

He noted that the government also regards healthcare delivery as a cardinal programme on which huge investments have been committed because a healthy nation is a wealthy nation.

Mustapha said: “Given the foregoing, therefore, Mr President on the recommendation of my Office approved the constitution of a 7-Member Presidential Independent Fact-Finding Panel headed by a retired Permanent Secretary to look at the immediate and remote causes of the conflict that engulfed the NHIS.

“The Panel was inaugurated on Friday, 2nd November 2018 and charged with a 5-point Terms of Reference (TOR) including the responsibility for examining all governance issues challenging the Scheme.

“The Panel was given 2 weeks to submit its report.  However, the assignment had to be extended due to the nature of the work and the need to address core issues on a lasting basis,” he said.