Usman Yusuf, executive secretary
of the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS), says he was suspended for
refusing to release N975 million to the ministry of health.
He said this on Friday when he
appeared before the house of representatives panel investigating the crisis
that followed his suspension.
The NHIS governing board recently
suspended Yusuf after accusing him of financial infractions and abuse of
office.
He was first suspended last year
by the ministry of health over similar allegations.
Addressing the house committee in
Abuja, Yusuf alleged the panel that investigated him was bribed.
He said his “refusal” to grant
the request from the health ministry “led to the setting up of a panel to probe
me.”
“And the panel delivered as the
panelists were given N19 million, even the security too were given money,” he
said.
Asked whether he has any
evidence, Yusuf responded in the affirmative saying, “I even have documented
evidence of how the money was shared.”
He also said the day the
governing board announced his suspension was the day he was meant to present a
report on the violation of the public procurement processes at the agency.
“Why was I suspended on October
18 and not 19th of October? The 18th of October was the day I was going to
present a result of the forensic audit of the activities of HMOs,” Yusuf said.
“Eighteenth of October was
nothing but preemptive coup at the NHIS. It was a gang up to stop my fight
against corruption.
“These are all allegations that
have been recycled. They were all investigated by the ICPC and EFCC; and they
found nothing and I was cleared. They wrote to me clearing me.”
Yusuf also denied accusations he
illegally awarded contracts at will at the agency, but, however, admitted that
a company owned by his brother – Mohammed Kabir-Yar’Adua – was awarded a N406
million contract at the agency.
He told the committee the company
won the contract through due process in 2016.
Isaac Adewole, minister of
health, insisted Yusuf was justly indicted of corrupt practices.
The minister, represented by
Abdulaziz Abdulahi, permanent secretary at the ministry, insisted cases of
financial infractions were established against the NHIS executive secretar.
“All the allegations levelled
against him are 100 percent correct,” Abdullahi said.
Nicholas Ossai, chairman of the
sub-committee, directed Boss Mustapha, secretary to the government of the
federation and officials of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to speak on the
NHIS’ financial transactions during the next hearing.
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