Sadique Abubakar appointed as acting executive secretary of NHIS

The governing council of the National Health Insurance Scheme has suspended Usman Yusuf, the Executive Secretary of the scheme indefinitely.

Ifenne Enyanatu, chairperson of the NHIS governing council, disclosed the resolution of the council to journalists after a two-day closed door meeting at the Abuja head office of the scheme.

“The council resolved to suspend Usman Yusuf because it has been inundated with petitions and infractions against the official and the council also resolved to set up an administrative panel to examine allegations levelled against him”

“The panel has three months to complete it is assignment and report back to us,” Enyanatu said. 

As a result of this development, the governing council of the health agency has announced the appointment of Sadique Abubakar as the acting Executive Secretary of NHIS.

However, Stakeholders in the health sector, led by the Health and Managed Care Association of Nigeria (HMCAN) condemned the reinstatement.

They accused President Muhammadu Buhari of preferring ethnicity to competence and ignoring the report of a panel that indicted and suspended Yusuf over an alleged N919 million fraud.

ANTHONIA OBOKOH