Civil Society Groups fault suspension of NHIS Boss, calls for dissolution of Governing Council.
The Coalition of Civil Society Groups against Terrorism in Nigeria have described last Thursday's suspension of the Executive Secretary of the National Health Insurance Scheme, NHIS, Professor Usman Yusuf by the Governing Board of the scheme as illegal, and an attempt by some desperate politicians, being led by the Chairperson of the Governing council of the scheme, Mrs Enyantu Ifenne, to hijack it in favour of politicians.
The group stated this on Monday in Lagos, while reacting to the latest purported suspension of Usman Yusuf, describing it as illegal, saying the Governing council has no powers to suspend the Executive Secretary on its own, but can only RECOMMEND such suspension to the President of the country, through the Secretary to the Government of the Federation.
Speaking through its Convener, Comrade Odeyemi Oladimeji, the Civil Society Groups said the NHIS establishment Act is also clear about the functions of the governing council, and among the many functions listed there, none empowers the council to even oversee the actions of the Executive Secretary, much less probe or suspend him.
The group described as ridiculous, the actions of the governing council, saying it is clear that Mrs Enyatu Ifenne is on a self serving mission, as it is clear that going strictly by the provisions of the NHIS Act, neither the Minister of Health nor the governing council has sole powers to suspend or remove the Executive Secretary from office. The Minister may only recommend such actions to the President in whose hand it is to wield the big stick or not.
The group also demanded the immediate dissolution of the governing board of the scheme, by President Muhammadu Buhari, as it further accused the Chairman of the council of working against the interest of the administration of President Buhari, as it asserted, that Mrs Ifenne, being a governing board member of a Private University owned by the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party in the 2019 Presidential election, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, it's obvious that Mrs Ifenne Enyatu is doing everything to undermine the progress of the administration, by colluding with some Health Maintenance Organisations which are owned by some self serving politicians and have constituted themselves as problem to the NHIS.
"We wish to remind Nigerians, that since the appointment of Professor Unman Yusuf as the Executive Secretary of the NHIS, where he had come to unravel the massive corruption taking place under the scheme, the cartel has been at war with him. These they have employed several means, to achieve, including the recent engagements of the governing council of the scheme, to illegally force the Executive Secretary out of Office." the group said.
"It will also interest Nigerians to know, that as a result of several frivolous petitions by these politicians and their conspirators within the governing council of the scheme, the various anti-corruption agencies have investigated Professor Usman Yusuf and none, till date, have found him guilty of involvement in any form of corruption."
In conclusion, the Civil Society Groups believe that Mrs Ifenne Enyatu is definitely a mole in the NHIS, she's on a mission of her pay masters , as the saying goes, you cannot serve to masters. It's obvious that there is a conflict of interest as it involves Mrs Ifenne who is a known associate of Alhaji Atiku Abubakar.