• Says case still in court

Doris Obinna

The Health and Managed Care Association of Nigeria (HMCAN), a body of Health Maintenance Organisations (HMOs), has decried and joined other health stakeholders to condemn the reinstatement of the Executive Secretary, National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS), Dr. Usman Yusuf.

The association, while addressing journalists in Lagos, said the presidency goofed yet again. It wondered why the presidency, whose stance is zero tolerance of corruption could breach the Act and sections that involve the appointment of the executive secretary and a case that is still pending in court.

The President, HMCAN, Dr. Babatunde Ladele, while assuring journalists that it would contest the reinstatement of Yusuf in court, disclosed that the lifting of his suspension as the Executive Secretary of the National Health Insurance Scheme came as a surprise.

Ladele said: “We were already in court contesting his appointment and those following the trend knew that the case is still pending. Immediately he was suspended, there was a vacuum, so we could not continue because the position was attached to him. Again, the other matter the association was contesting was the distortion of the processes in the scheme.”

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In  July 2017, the Minster of Health, Prof Isaac Adewole, suspended Yusuf for three months to allow for an administrative, investigative committee to look into the various allegation, including those of alleged monumental fraud, gross abuse of office and nepotism inimical to the NHIS scheme.

While noting the assurances of government that investigations of allegations are ongoing, Ladele said HMCAN was mindful of the dictum that an accused person is innocent until proved guilty by a court of competent jurisdiction.

He said: “We advised that in the spirit of transparency, accountability and stance of government on anti-corruption, the report and investigations should not be swept under the carpet. Doing this will erode public confidence and cast a doubt on   the sincerity of government.”