Usman Yusuf,
suspended executive secretary of the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS),
has revealed some of the reasons why he was suspended from the scheme.
In an
explosive 43-minute video, Yusuf exposed some of the dealings of the NHIS and
what he was doing about it before he was suspended.
The executive
secretary said his relationship with the board started well, but it
deteriorated due to the influence health maintenance organisations (HMOs).
He said the
last time he was suspended, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC)
and the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission
(ICPC), went through all his accounts and that of his family and found nothing.
He said “worse
things have been said about men greater than I,” so what “they say doesn’t get
to me anymore, it doesn’t bother me anymore”.
After
reviewing the video, TheCable brings you seven of the major revelations made by
the NHIS boss.
HMOS NEGLECTED FAMILIES OF SOLDIERS
FIGHTING BOKO HARAM
Yusuf said the
health maintenance organisations (HMOs), who are the middlemen between the NHIS
and the local hospitals, were neglecting soldiers fighting Boko Haram in the
northeast.
“Defence HMO
takes care of all armed forces and security forces, when I came there were
problems, our men and women in the trenches in the northeast used to call me.
“Their
families admitted in the hospitals and HMOs were not taking care of them. When
the calls were incessant, I asked for an appointment to see the chief of army
staff, and he obliged me.
“I went and
sat with him and said general ‘we have a problem’, we cannot send our men and
women in harms ways and not taking care of them. And as a general that he is,
he solved this thing swiftly.”
He said things
are much better now, and that is why it is the only HMO that has full licence
to practice today.
NHIS MONEY IS BLOOD MONEY — I’D DO THIS JOB
FOR FREE
The professor
of haematology-oncology and bone marrow transplantation said NHIS money is
blood money, and that he is willing to do the job for free.
“If I was here
to steal money, you will not hear anything; I have said it before, I am saying
it again, NHIS money is blood money,” he said.
“I accepted
this position to do good, that was why we went into medical school. There is no
greater honour for me than to serve. And I will do this job for free.
THE REGULATED IS THE REGULATOR
He said many
of those on the board of the NHIS own HMOs, hence the regulated is also the
regulator.
“They are even
on the board of the NHIS, so the regulated on the board of the regulator, so I
said this is not going to continue, not this time.
“The board of
corruption, we are not going to rock it, we are going to sink it, HMOs will get
licence, HMOs will pay hospitals.”
HMOS LICENCE EXPIRED IN 2013 — YET THEY GET
PAID
Yusuf said
when he was checking the books, he found that many of the HMOs are working with
expired licences.
“All their
liences have expired, some as far back as 2013, and I ask my people, will the
central bank deal with any bank that doesn’t have a licence? Then why are we
giving these entities billions of people’s money?
“Unlicenced
entities, you’re giving them money three months ahead, they were not paying,
they were living far away from where people are.”
NHIS CATERING TO ONLY 3 MILLION NIGERIANS
What did I
find when I came to the board of the NHIS in 2016 when I came on board. In the
13 years of NHIS, how many Nigerians have NHIS covered?
In the 13
years of NHIS, how much has gone into the pool, how much has gone out? Who has
benefitted? Who has not benefitted? Who are the stakeholders? How responsible
have
What I found
was shocking, In 13 years, NHIS has only covered 3 million Nigerians. I started
asking questions, how much came in, how much went out?
He said the
investments and the results have been abysmally embarrassing.
HMOS FIX NHIS MONEY AND GAIN INTEREST
He said the
HMOs were using the monies gotten from NHIS to make interest rather than treat
the sick.
“I have an HMO
living in Port Harcourt with huge debt in Federal Medical Centre, Abeokuta,” he
said adding that the Kano HMO lives in Lagos, while people are sick in Kano.
“What do they
do with this money that we give them? They either fix this money in the banks
to accrue interest, while our people go to the hospital and are treated
shabbily,” he said.
“They use it
to buy foreign exchange , or they use this money as collateral to get bank
loans, this is what has been going on.”
The professor
asked Nigerians to ask basic questions that would lead to answers on what
exactly is happening in the NHIS.
HMOS PAID THE PRESS AND UNIONS AGAINST ME
The consultant
paediatrician said the HMOs have paid the press and unions to oppose him via
the media and through many protests.
“They are
funding unions, they are funding the press, they have taken me to court to hold
status quo.
“Fellow
Nigerians, status quo is not acceptable, status quo is unjust, status quo is
unfair, status quo is we give these unlienced entities people’s money to pay to
hospitals and they are not paying”
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