NHIS council knocks Usman for N17m spent on foreign trip

The newly inaugurated governing council of the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) has accused Yusuf Usman, the executive secretary of the agency, of ignoring their directive prohibiting a foreign trip request he made on which he reportedly spent N17 million.

BusinessDay gathered that the trip is in connection with the 71st session of the World Health Assembly in Geneva, Switzerland, between 21st and 26th of May, 2018.

The NHIS council had denied the request but Usman proceeded on the trip. The council further directed Usman to provide a response in writing within 48hours and to copy all council members accordingly but that too has been ignored.

“It has been reliably confirmed that Isaac Adewole, the minister of health, did not nominate you to attend the conference and four officers who travelled in defiance of council directive, and arrived at Geneva one day before conference closed,” says a document signed by Enyantu Ifenne, the head of council members, NHIS.

Legal analysts say civil service rules are being infringed upon in this instance.“For failure to comply with the council directive, they can set up a disciplinary committee for the agency, which will measure up proper sanctions for the erring staff,” the analysts explained to BusinessDay.

According to the council, the executive secretary breached due process by not presenting a nomination from the health minister, permitting him to travel.

It would be recalled that Usman and the minister of health have had a frosty relationship culminating in his suspension, but President Mohammadu Buhari recalled the executive secretary.

Barely five months into his reinstatement, there is another allegation of mismanagement of public funds and acting contrary to policy directive of government.

Stakeholders in the health insurance sector say the current situation where the executive secretary ignores the directives of the governing councils in taking fundamental decisions affecting the finances of the scheme without recourse to the Council will endanger healthcare insurance for Nigerians.

The council said it denied Usman’s request for three reasons: The key programme departments, formal and non- formal, which drive NHIS thrust towards universal coverage were not included, the inclusion of Mua’zu Aliyu, Usman’s personal assistant, cannot be justified and lack of value for the NHIS on a trip that would gulp N17 million.

“However, in clear defiance of the directive, you travelled with the four officers”, the documented query said.

Yusuf did not respond to efforts by our correspondent to get his reaction on why he has not responded to the query within the 48hours timeline given by the council.