NHIS Executive Secretary Defies Council, Resumes Work

The Executive Secretary of the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS), Professor Usman Yusuf, on Monday, resumed work at the Abuja head office of the Scheme against his suspension by the governing council of the NHIS.

The NHIS governing council had last Thursday suspended Prof Yusuf over undisclosed “infractions” allegedly leveled against him in some petitions brought before the council.

The Executive Secretary had in less than 24 hours after the suspension challenged the Council’s authority to suspend him, describing the move as null and void because he is an appointee of the Presidency and hence couldn’t have been lawfully suspended by the council.

“Aside from the fact that i have not been notified of any of the Petitions reffered to in your Memo, please permit to respectfully bring to your attention that neigher the above quoted provisions of the NHIS Act Sections 6 (j) and 7 (a) & (j) nor Public Service Rules no. 030406 referred to in your Memo conferes on the Council any power of appointment, suspension or removal in respect of my office as the Executive Secretary of NHIS as inferred in your Memo,” the ES had said in response to the sections quoted in the NHIS Act as contained his suspension letter signed by the Council’s Chairman, Dr Enyantu Ifenne.

“As you are aware, by virtue of Section 8 of the NHIS Act, my appointment, like yours, it at instance of the President and Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces whle the Coincil’s power of appointment is limited to directors and other employees of the Scheme. It is therefore ultra vires for the Council to suspend or purport to suspend me from office to the extent that the said suspension is the prerogative of Mr. President,” Yusuf had said.

Meanwhile, following the Executive Secretary’s response referring her to the relevant provisions in the NHIS Act that the Council lacked the power to suspend him; Mrs Ifenne had told Premium Times on Friday that she would rally the support of some workers of the Scheme to have Professor Yusuf “locked out on Monday” in the event that he resumes duty.

The Chairman may have kept to her word leading to a clash on Monday between some workers of the Scheme and some security operatives when the ES tried to gain entrance into his office.

There were reports that but for the intervention of the security operatives who tear-gassed some of the workers; Professor Yusuf may not have been able to gain access into the NHIS head office this morning.

Meanwhile, this medium learnt that the crisis currently rocking the NHIS allegedly originated from the resolve of Professor Yusuf to re-accredit Health Management Organizations (HMOs) and recover the sum of N1.05 billion allegedly embezzled by some HMOs.

The move, it was alleged, fueled a brawl between the Executive Secretary and the Chairman of the NHIS Council who is alleged to have vested interest in the HMOs.