Probe Panel On NHIS Crisis Submits Report Today

By Biola Adebayo

The committee set up to investigate allegations of fraud against the Executive Secretary of the National Health Insurance Scheme, Prof. Usman Yusuf, will submit its report to the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Boss Mustapha, on Monday (today).

The Chairman of 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.

A day after the pronouncement, Yusuf defied the Governing Council and resumed at the headquarters of the NHIS in Abuja with the backing of policemen.

The committee report, according to Punch, is coming more than seven weeks after the committee was set up by President Muhammadu Buhari.

After its inauguration on November 2, 2018, the committee was given two weeks to complete its assignment but it was gathered that the committee did not begin work until three weeks after inauguration.

When contacted over the delay in the submission of the committee report, the Assistant Director of Communication, Office of the SGF, Olusegun Adetola, had told our correspondent that the secretary of the committee, Jumai Ndako, had assured that the report would be submitted last week.

He also allayed the fear that there was attempt to sweep the report under the carpet.

Adetola said, “It is true that the committee was given two weeks to complete its report when it was inaugurated six weeks ago. I recently contacted the panel secretary, Ndako, who is a director at the SGF office, and she told me that the assignment became expanded because of the number of witnesses and other officials contacted. It is vital for the panel to do a thorough work and come up with credible report because of the sensitive nature of the assignment and for the sake of fairness and equity.”

When Adetola was contacted a week after the submission date, he was not available to confirm if the committee kept to the time.

But the newly appointed Director of Communication at the SGF office, Willie Bassey, confirmed that the report would be submitted on Monday (today).

He said, “The panel set up by the Federal Government to look into the controversy between the Board and the Executive Secretary of the NHIS will submit its report tomorrow (Monday) at SGF.”