A Lagos-based lawyer and human rights activist, Jiti Ogunye, has spoken on the reinstatement of the suspended Executive Secretary of the National Health Insurance Scheme, NHIS, Prof. Usman Yusuf by President Muhammadu Buhari.
He said the development shows that the NHIS boss is now superior to Minister of Health, Isaac Adewole.
Adewole had suspended Yusuf in June 2017, following allegations of gross misconduct, nepotism and theft of public funds.
But Ogunye in a chat with Punch said: “Now that he has been asked to work with the minister, do you think he will have any respect for the minister as his boss?
“It is obvious, by this letter, Prof. Yusuf, technically speaking, has become the boss of that ministry and the minister has become his subordinate.
“Even if the minister were to remain in that ministry, I think that for the time that he would be there, he would stay aloof. Nothing from that agency (NHIS) will make the minister to do anything anymore.
“As far as they are concerned, the NHIS has become a separate entity that is no longer under the ministry of health. It has become an island of authority that is tied to the Presidency directly, so it is not under the ministry of health.
“This may then also mean that eventually if the administration is going to reshuffle cabinet as it promised to do, this minister is going to be out.”
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