Nigeria News
Reps summon Udoma, Adeosun, others over N10 billion withdrawal from NHIS account
Executive-Secretary-of-the-National-Health-Insurance-Scheme-Usman-Yusuf
The House of Representatives’ committee on health has summoned the Minister of Budget and National Planning, Udo Udoma; Minister of Finance, Kemi Adeosun; and the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Godwin Emefiele; to explain why they classified the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) as a revenue generating institution which should pay ‘operating surplus’ to the federation account.
it will be recalled that the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) had earlier called on President Muhammadu Buhari to launch a total investigation into circumstances surrounding the alleged mismanagement of a fresh N10 billion perpetrated by officials of the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS). Naija News reported
Naija News learnt that the decision followed the submission of the newly reinstated Executive Secretary of NHIS, Usman Yusuf, who appeared before it to give an update on the status of the re-accreditation exercise for Health Management Organisations (HMOs) which had been suspended at the instance of the committee to allow for audit of their activities.
The Minister of Health, Isaac Adewole; and the Accountant General of the Federation, Ahmed Idris was also summon due to the recent report that the executive secretary had been indicted in a fresh N10 billion fraud at the agency.however, the executive secretary has dismissed and described the allegation of malicious and untrue.
The official who was suspended months ago by the minister of health on allegations of fraud and official impropriety was recently reinstated by President Muhammadu Buhari despite public consternation. Mr. Yusuf, at the hearing, said funds under the NHIS is a trust which must be taken seriously.
He explained that the N10 billion was deducted from its TSA (Treasury Single Account) account with the CBN by the Ministry of Finance, which had informed him via a letter that the NHIS ought to be a revenue generating agency and by implication, ought to pay its operating surplus to the Consolidated Revenue Fund.
On the re-accreditation of the 57 HMOs whose licences expired last year, Mr. Yusuf said preliminary report on their evaluation had been submitted and is being considered. He said one of the conditions they must meet is the provision of a certificate of non-indebtedness from the hospitals they served.
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