FG Appoints Ben Omogo To Oversee NHIS – Minister

 A Director from the Federal Ministry of Health, Mr Ben Omogo,has been appointed to oversee the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS).

The Minister of Health, Prof. Isaac Adewole, disclosed this on Thursday during an investigative hearing organised by the House Ad hoc Committee on the lingering crisis facing the scheme, in Abuja.

Adewole said that the crisis engulfing the NHIS predated the period of the just suspended Executive Secretary, Prof. Usman Yusuf.

Presenting her submission, the Secretary, governing board, NHIS, Dr Enyantu Ifenne, alleged that the scheme was marred by undue process carried out by the suspended Executive Secretary, Prof. Usman Yusuf.

Ifenne said from the time the governing board was constituted till the suspension of the Executive Secretary, there were allegations of award of contracts and spending of millions of Naira without approval from the relevant authorities.

Also speaking, Mr Razaq Omomeji, the Chairman, Senior Staff Association of Health Workers, NHIS branch, called on the National Assembly to provide a legislation that would protect the scheme from vulnerability of some executive leaders of the scheme in the future.

Earlier, the Chairman, House Ad hoc Committee, Rep. Nicholas Ossai, suspended the investigative hearing to Friday, Nov. 2, 2018.

This, Ossai said, would enable the suspended Executive Secretary, prof. Usman Yusuf, to make his submission on the allegations.

Prof. Yusuf declined to talk to the press till Friday.

NAN