Staff of the National Health Insurance Scheme, NHIS, have once again demanded for the sack of the Executive Secretary of the scheme, Prof. Usman Yusuf, over alleged acts of corruption, nepotism, and abuse of office.
DAILY POST reports that the workers, under the aegis of Association of Senior Civil Servants of Nigeria, ASCSN, made the call on Monday at a press briefing in Abuja.
Speaking, the Vice Chairman of the NHIS chapter of the association, Comrade Isaac Ojemhenke, accused Yusuf of illegal secondment of his nephew’s appointment into the procurement department of the scheme.
He claimed that the illegal secondment paved way for the arbitrary award of a media consultancy contract of NHIS estimated at over N46.7m to a meat processing company belonging to Yusuf’s blood brother.
He said: “A recent attempt by the ES to victimise four directors in the scheme has led to another revelation of how the ES brought to the scheme his nephew, Hassan Kabir Yar’Adua and posted him to procurement department to pave way for a possible arbitrary evaluation and consideration of his father’s company, Lubekh Nigeria Ltd for consultancy for media and special public relations in the NHIS at a contract sum of N46,798,512.
“This company, Lubekh Nigeria Ltd, belonging to Prof. Usman Yusuf’s blood brother, Alhaji Kabir Yusuf Yar’Adua, was registered as with the object to carry on business as food/meat processor, building and construction work.
“Kabir Hassan Yar’Adua, at the time he was seconded to NHIS as a staff was holding a position of a director in this same puppet company against the clear provisions of the Public Service Rules which criminalise the holding of two appointments by a public servant at the same time.”
Ojemhenke also alleged that the ES had moved and converted over 22 NHIS items/assets for personal use in the name of setting up home office.
He pointed out that in August 2018, Yusuf procured and moved to his personal house; four security fire proof safes under the ‘home office’ arrangement.
“Before his suspension in August 2016, Prof. Usman Yusuf has moved several items/assets of the scheme to his residence in the name of setting up home office. This is totally strange in the public service and it is an outright abuse of office,” Ojemhenke said.
The ASCSN further accused Yusuf of allocating seven official vehicles to himself at a monthly fueling cost of N500, 000, and attaching seven policemen to himself as security details at another monthly cost of N565,000.
“Prof. Usman Yusuf, on his recall from suspension, has paid N3.6m to himself allegedly used by him to fuel seven vehicles he greedily attached to himself and as reimbursement for purchase of newspapers while he was on suspension.
He added: “Also, he has seven policemen attached to himself at a monthly expense of N565,000. All attempts by the (Governing) Council to make him tow the line of financial discipline and prudence in the face of dwindling resources of the scheme have been resisted by Prof. Usman Yusuf.”
He noted that Yusuf had also attempted to victimise four directors in the scheme for standing in the way of his recent alleged acts of corruption.
He argued that Yusuf’s removal was necessary to avoid sending the wrong signals in respect of the anti-graft war of the federal government.
Ojemhenke said: “In view of the foregoing, the association is demanding that government should do the needful as regards the case of Prof. Usman Yusuf. He needs to be asked to step aside in order to serve as deterrent to others. This is very necessary in order to avoid sending the wrong signal in respect of the anti-corruption war of the present administration.”
Meanwhile, the Executive Secretary told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) that the workers were merely kicking against a minor redeployment he effected last week.
According to him, the transfers were intended to rejig the scheme and not as a punitive measure.
“How can an individual perpetrate all these 12 allegations running into several billions of naira within a short span of time without insiders’ knowledge or collaboration?’’ Yusuf asked.
He challenged the workers to substantiate their allegations and advised all those fighting against the ongoing positive changes to have a rethink in the interest of enrollees and the country.
Yusuf declined further comments, saying “I am yet to see a copy of their press statement.
Yusuf was earlier suspended from office by the Minister of Health, Prof. Adewole Isaac, over allegations of maladministration and insubordination.
But Yusuf dismissed the allegations, explaining that it is corruption that is fighting back.
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