A panel set up by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation had last December recommended Yusuf for dismissal for alleged fraud and other misdemeanours.

Similarly, a panel set up by the Federal Ministry of Health had in 2017 recommended his dismissal following findings that he allegedly mismanaged N919m.

The Director, Media, Federal Ministry of Health, Mrs Boade Akinola, said in a statement that the President had appointed Prof Mohammed Sambo, as the new head of the NHIS.

The statement read in part, “Following the recommendations of report by an independent fact-finding panel on the NHIS, President Muhammadu Buhari has approved the termination of appointment of the Executive Secretary, Prof. Usman Yusuf, who has been on administrative leave and has approved the appointment of Prof. Mohammed Sambo as the new executive secretary

“Similarly, the President also approved the dissolution of the governing board of the NHIS and directed the Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Health to exercise full powers of the council pending the constitution of a new board.

“President Buhari has also approved the appointment of Dr Chikwe Ihekweazu as the Director –General of the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control. The appointment is in line with the provisions of Section 11(1)(3) of the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control(Establishment) Act, 2018.”

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He said that the suspension was ordered to prevent him from exposing high-level corruption at the agency.

Yusuf stated this while taking his turn at the ongoing investigation into the NHIS crisis by a House of Representatives Ad hoc Committee, on Friday in Abuja.

He said that he was suspended on Oct. 18, 2018 because it was the day he was due to present to the Board a report of the violation of the public procurement processes at the agency.

He also alleged that he was suspended because he refused to release N975 million to the Ministry of Health.

According to him, this led to the setting up of a panel to probe me and the panel delivered as the panelists were given N19 million and even the security too, were given money.

Yusuf insisted that his suspension was preemptive and stopped him from also presenting forensic result on the activities of Health Maintenance Organisations (HMOs) under the NHIS.

“Why was I suspended on Oct. 18 and not Oct. 19? Oct. 18 was the day I was going to present a result of the forensic audit of the activities of HMOs.

“The 18th of October was nothing but preemptive coup at the NHIS. It was a gang up to stop my fight against corruption,” he said.

Yusuf challenged the committee to invite the Independent Corruption Practices and Allied Offences Commission (ICPC) and Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), saying both agencies cleared him on allegations against him.

“All the allegations were recycled. Due to the criminal nature of these allegations, there are anti-graft agencies such as the EFCC and the ICPC and I would like this honourable committee to invite them.

“These are all allegations that have been recycled. They were all investigated by the ICPC and EFCC and they found nothing and I was cleared. They wrote to me clearing me,” he said.

On whether he awarded contracts to his cronies and associates and whether there was conflict of interest in the award, he said there were no such contracts.

Yusuf said that procurement process in the award of contract was transparent as about 28 companies were involved in the tendering and contact selection process before a preferred contractor, Lubek Nigeria Ltd, was chosen.

In his submission, Minister of Health, Prof. Isaac Adewole, represented by the Permanent Secretary, Alhaji Abdulaziz Abdullahi, insisted that Yusuf was suspended for his financial recklessness and refusal to follow due process.

He listed more than ten infractions, including approval of N210 million contract for electronic media and how he “single-handedly made his brother, the media consultant to NHIS’’.

“All the allegations leveled against him are 100 per cent correct as all the recommendations of the panel were perpetuated.

“The suspended ES did not carry out his statutory functions as an accounting officer pursuant to 20(1) and (2) of PPA 2007,” he said.

But, in his presentation, Chairman, National Civil Service Union (NCSU), NHIS, Shehu Gajo, said “the ES was not given fair hearing as the Association of Senior Civil Servants was fond of frustrating all executive secretaries of the agency.

“Right from the days of Femi Thomas when the agency was created, once management fails to meet up to its bidding, the association crushes such management.”

At that point, Chairman of the probe committee, Rep. Nicholas Ossai, countered the union chairman saying “I warned earlier that I do not want biased papers here; your paper on this issue is biased.”

Meanwhile, the committee has invited Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Boss Mustapha and the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Governor, Godwin Emefiele, “to give account of all they know about the agency.”

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Government has also set up a seven-man panel to investigate the allegations levelled against him by the scheme’s Governing Council, which led to his recent controversial suspension.

The government’s position was contained in a statement by the Permanent Secretary, General Services Office, Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Olusegun Adekunle.

Adekunle said the decision to send Yusuf on administrative leave was based on the need to create a room for an unfettered investigation.

In his absence, Director of Administration in the Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Ben Omogo, has been deployed to oversee the affairs of the scheme.

The statement read, “With specific reference to recent developments at the National Health Insurance Scheme, Mr. President has, after due consideration, approved the establishment of an independent fact-finding panel to investigate the alleged infractions by the Executive Secretary and report back within two weeks.

“The membership of the panel include: Dr. Hassan Bukar -Chairman; Dr. Emmanuel Meribole –member (Director, HPRS, Ministry of Health); Mr. Adewale Owolo –member (Director, Audit, Auditor-General of the Federation); Mr. Shamsuddeen Bello –member (Deputy Director Expenditure, Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation); Mr. Ishaq Yahaya –member (Director, Certification and Compliance, Bureau of Public Procurement); Dr. Ekanem Udoh –member (Director of Science, Ministry of Science and Technology); and Mrs. Jummai Idakwo –Secretary (Director, Administration, OSGF).

“In order to create room for an unfettered investigation, Mr. President has approved that the Executive Secretary of the NHIS, Prof. Usman Yusuf should proceed on administrative leave immediately.

“In his absence, Mr.Ben Omogo, a Director of Administration in the Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation has been deployed to oversee the affairs of the scheme.

“Government recognises the importance of the scheme as a strong mechanism for the delivery of public healthcare and wishes to re-assure all Nigerians of its determination to place high premium on public interest.”

Adekunle said the panel would be inaugurated by the SGF, Boss Mustapha, on Friday.

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In the suit with the number, FHC/ABJ/CS/1220/2018 filed before the Federal High Court in Abuja, Yusuf asked the court to rule among others that the governing council of the NHIS had no powers under the provisions of the NHIS Act to suspend him from office.

Yusuf instituted the suit through his lawyer, Uchechukwu Obi (SAN), on Monday.

The NHIS boss asked the court to state that the council had no powers under sections 6 and 7 of the Act to discipline him or to investigate allegations made against him as they purported to do by their internal memorandum on October 19, 2018.

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The unions are the Association of Senior Civil Servants of Nigeria (ASCSN), and Medical and Health Workers Union of Nigeria (MHWUN).

On October 18, the council suspended Yusuf indefinitely on allegations of financial infractions.

Enantu Ifenna, chairman of the council, said the executive secretary refused to carry out the board’s decisions on critical issues and institutionalised corruption at the agency.

However, the suspended executive secretary resumed duty.

Boss Mustapha, secretary to the government of the federation (SGF), said the boards and councils have no power to suspend any chief executive appointed by the president.

But speaking with NAN on Tuesday, Abdulrazak Omomaji, chairman of ASCSN, said the act establishing the NHIS was unique and it gives the council the powers to suspend the executive secretary.

“I want to clarify that the act which establishes the NHIS is different from the other government parastatals which are guided by boards and directors,” Omomaji said.

“The governing council of the NHIS however acted within its jurisdiction, they are the chief security officer of the organisation and have the powers to discipline and suspend.

“Let it be clear that council has not removed Prof. Usman Yusuf, but has asked him to step aside for investigations after which findings will be forwarded to the minister of health.

“Council is therefore in order, and we shall continue with the protest as we await government’s reaction.”

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He said such boards may, however “articulate infractions, investigate wrongdoing and make recommendations to government through the supervisory ministry.”

Mustapha made the clarification at an induction programme for governing board members of federal parastatals, universities and medical centres organised by the Bureau of Public Service Reforms, in conjunction with the Department for International Development, a United Kingdom government department responsible for administering overseas aid.

The clarification came at the time the dust raised by the recent decision of the Governing Board of the National Health Insurance Scheme to suspend Prof. Usman Yusuf as the Executive Secretary is yet to settle.

The chairman of the board, Ifenne Enyanatu, had on October 18 announced Yusuf’s indefinite suspension, saying the board consulted and got the approval of the Minister of Health, Prof. Isaac Adewole, on the matter.

Yusuf had however rejected the suspension, saying it is only the President that can suspend him.

Although he did not specifically mention the NHIS saga, Mustapha said the Federal Government was concerned that most governing boards have not understood their roles in the corporate governance of the agencies they superintend.

So far, he said the government has noticed some infractions on the side of such boards.

He listed the infractions to include what he called the board chairmen’s undue interference in the day-to-day activities of their parastatals and agencies; blatant disregard for extant regulations guiding the conduct of board meetings; interference in the function of the CEOs; issuing directives to members of staff without recourse to the CEOs; imposition of disciplinary measures against the CEOs in flagrant violation of the laid down rules; and using labour unions as agents of distractions in the agencies.

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A THISDAY report quoted Yusuf as saying this at a programme in Sokoto state on Thursday.

Isaac Adewole, minister of health, had suspended the NHIS executive secretary over some corruption allegations.

Adewole had said Yusuf could not provide a satisfactory explanation to the issues raised against him.

However, President Muhammadu Buhari reinstated Yusuf two weeks ago, sparking an outrage.

Workers at the headquarters of the scheme are currently divided, with some vowing not to return to work until Buhari reverse the action on Yusuf.

At the programme on Thursday, Yusuf was quoted to have attributed his recent travail to corrupt individuals bent on destroying his career.

Appealing to Nigerians to disregard the “misinformation in the media” Yusuf reportedly said no amount of smear campaigns would deter him from bringing healthcare to the people.

“It is corruption that is fighting us and we will fight them back,” he said.

“People should not be distracted by what they hear in the media. In fact, when I came in as the NHIS Executive Secretary, I realised that we can help our people especially the poor to access health care services.

“We are working for the people in order to make sure that they get what they deserve. So, we will never be deterred by the antics of corrupt interests.”

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The police officers arrived in the premises on Monday morning following rumours of a planned protest by the staff of the agency.

The armed officers are occupying the premises and also stationed along the road in the area.

Last week, the workers protested the reinstatement of Usman Yusuf, executive secretary of the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS).

Some of them vowed not to resume until his reinstatement is reversed. But on Monday, a group of workers loyal to Yusuf staged a counter-protest.

Yusuf was recalled after he was suspended last year over allegations of fraud levelled against him.

Our correspondent who is currently at the agency learnt that some persons believed to be in support of the recently reinstated Executive Secretary of the NHIS boss, Prof. Usman Yusuf, are expected to hold a solidarity rally at the agency.

Yusuf, who is accused of perpetrating fraud to the tune of N919m, was controversially reinstated by President Muhammadu Buhari last week.

Unionists at the NHIS have therefore grounded activities at the agency.

Speaking at the agency on Monday, the Chairman of the Association of Senior Civil Servants of Nigeria at the NHIS, Razaq Omomeji, told members not to be intimidated.

Omomeji said the persons coming to protest were hired by Yusuf.

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The protest began about 40 minutes after Yusuf resumed at the headquarters of the agency in Abuja.

The unionists who sang protest songs said the reinstatement of Yusuf would thwart his investigation by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commissio, EFCC.

The protesters, who described the reinstatament saga as ‘Yusufgate’, said it was a mockery of President Muhammadu Buhari’s anti-corruption war.

Addressing journalists on the premises of the agency, the Chairman of the NHIS arm of the union, Razaq Omomeji, said the protests would continue until Buhari reversed Yusuf’s reinstatement.

Omomeji said Yusuf had bastardised the scheme and his return would only worsen affairs at the agency.

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In a letter with reference number, ‘SH/COS/10/6/A/29’, signed by the Chief of Staff to the President, Abba Kyari, the President informed the minister of Yusuf’s recall, adding that he (Yusuf) had been “admonished to work harmoniously with the minister.”

The letter, it was learnt, was sent to the minister on Tuesday evening. When our correspondent called the minister to confirm the new development, Adewole only said, “Yes, what you have heard is true.” He refused to answer any further inquiries about the issue.

Sources at the federal Ministry of Health also confirmed Yusuf’s reinstatement. They did not, however, disclose when the NHIS boss would resume. The letter made no mention of the probe Yusuf was facing at the EFCC.

A committee set up by the minister had submitted a probe report to the President last September accusing Yusuf of abuse of office.

In the report which was compiled by senior officials of the health ministry, the Department of State Services and the ICPC, the panel described Yusuf as a public servant who “portrayed a holier than thou attitude but at the background, milked the agency dry” by conniving with others to perpetrate fraud to the tune of over N919m.

According to the panel, the N919m was dubiously given as payment to consultants for staff training.

The committee said as the head of the agency, Yusuf was personally responsible for all administrative, procurement and financial lapses.

According to the report, “His (Yusuf’s) deceitful attitude coupled with ‘name dropping’ of Mr. President as having sent him to sanitise the NHIS but he caused more harm than good to the scheme.”

The committee, therefore, recommended that the EFCC probe the agency for diversion of funds and contravention of the Procurement Act of 2007.

The report stated that Yusuf contravened the Procurement Act of 2007 through nepotism and other irregular award of contracts and should be sanctioned in line with the provision of the Act.

Explaining how the alleged staff training scam took place, the committee said in some instances, the number of trainees was far more than the entire number of employees at the agency while in some other instances, some employees were registered for the same training in two different states at the same time.

Most of the consultants were said to have charged about N250, 000 per participant.

It was further learnt that Yusuf was grilled for over 12 hours at the EFCC on Monday and Tuesday. A source at the EFCC said, “The NHIS boss was with us all through Monday and returned on Tuesday for more questioning. His passport was also seized. He will return on another day for more questioning.”

Reports by The Punch

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