The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has begun
investigations into allegations of misappropriation of funds and
abuse of office levelled against the suspended Executive Secretary
of the National Health Insurance Scheme, Prof. Usman Yusuf.
The EFCC stated this in a letter dated December 21, 2017, which
was addressed to the current acting Executive Secretary of the
NHIS.
The investigations by the commission started five months after
Yusuf was suspended by the Federal Ministry of Health.
The ministry, four months ago, submitted the report of a panel
on the allegations against Yusuf to the Presidency. In its report,
the panel accused the suspended NHIS boss of N919m fraud.
The EFCC’s letter was titled ‘Investigation into activities of
Prof. Usman Yusuf –suspended Executive Secretary of the National
Health Insurance Scheme’.
Besides the EFCC, the Independent Corrupt Practices and other
related Offences Commission is investigating the suspended
executive secretary and four other officials of the NHIS.
The ICPC, in its letter dated December 11, 2017, and addressed
to the acting executive secretary of the NHIS, stated that the
officers were being investigated for “alleged violation of the
provisions of the Corrupt Practices and other related Offences Act
2000.”
The ICPC added, “Pursuant to Section 45(3) of the cited Act, you
are hereby directed to recover the money advanced to the five
officers (of the NHIS) and two staff from the Ministry of Health
for the aborted trip to the Netherlands.
“You are further required to furnish the commission with the
evidence of compliance by each of the beneficiaries.”
On its part, the EFCC stated that it was investigating suspected
cases of fraud and misappropriation levelled against Yusuf during
his tenure as the executive secretary of the NHIS between July,
2016 and July, 2017.
In its letter, with reference number CR:
3000/EFCC/ABJ/CTGI.2/VOL.15/ 237, and signed by its Director of
Operations, Umar Abba, for the Acting Chairman, the EFCC is seeking
information on, “All necessary documents relating to local and
international training programmes sponsored by the scheme from July
2016 to July 2017.
“All documents relating to payment made to Katamaya First Call
Hospital.
“All procurement documents relating to the e-library project of
the NHIS. Documents relating to all NHIS-sponsored foreign trips
embarked upon by the suspended executive secretary.
“All payments relating to the fuelling of the suspended
secretary’s official vehicles. Disbursement of NEED assessment
funds between July 2016 and July 2017.”
The EFCC requested documents relating to the audit verification
conducted during the tenure of the suspended executive
secretary.
The commission also said the NHIS should confirm if four other
persons it mentioned in the letter were members of staff of the
scheme and their current status.
The persons are Nasir Shinkafi, Shuab Mohammed, Suleiman Ilu and
Yusuf Abdullahi.
The anti-graft agency stated that it was making the requests
“pursuant to Section 38 (1) and (2) of the Economic and Financial
Crimes Commission (Establishment) Act, 2004.”
However, there were indications on Tuesday that the suspended
executive had begun moves to return to his post.
It was gathered that Yusuf had contacted members of a cabal in
the Presidency to reach out to the President.
A Presidency official, who confided in our reporter, said, “He
has the sympathy of members of the cabal, who have assisted him in
reaching out to the President. He feels that he is being
victimised.”
The panel, set up by the Federal Ministry of Health to probe the
suspended NHIS boss and other activities at the NHIS, had presented
a damning report to the Minister, Prof. Isaac Adewole.
The report was submitted to the President in August.
The report was received by the Chief of Staff, Abba Kyari, on
behalf of the President but the Presidency had remained silent on
the report.
A top government official, who spoke on the condition of
anonymity, told one of our correspondents that the Presidency had
so far not taken action on the report of the investigation
initiated by the health minister because “a procedural error” was
noticed.
The source claimed that contrary to the normal procedure, the
Ministry of Health went ahead to prepare a White Paper on the
report before forwarding it to the Presidency.
He said, “What I am aware of is that the ministry did not stop
at investigating him, it prepared a White Paper on the report of
the investigation. The Presidency has noticed this procedural error
and has called the ministry’s attention to it.
“I don’t know if a fresh committee will be set up to investigate
the matter all over again.”
The source added that the Presidency was also taking its time to
ensure fairness in the case.
“You know that there are two legs to the issue. The suspended
man has also made an allegation against the minister.
“He said he ran into trouble with the minister because he
refused to provide a particular amount of money that he was asked
to bring for the send-off of the ministry’s permanent
secretary.”
When asked if the Presidency would investigate the minister
before taking a stand on the matter, he said, “Like I told you
earlier, I don’t know if a fresh committee has been set up
yet.”
Presidential spokesmen, Femi Adesina and Garba Shehu, could not
be reached on the telephone as of the time of filing this
report.
In the report, which was compiled by senior officials of the
health ministry, the Department of State Services and the ICPC, the
suspended NHIS boss was accused of perpetrating fraud to the tune
of N919m.
The panel described Yusuf as a public servant who “portrayed a
holier than thou attitude but at the background, milked the agency
dry” by conniving with others to perpetrate fraud to the tune of
over N919m.
According to the panel, the N919m was dubiously given as payment
to consultants for staff training.
The committee said as the head of the agency, Yusuf was
personally responsible for all administrative, procurement and
financial lapses.
The panel noted “his (Yusuf’s) deceitful attitude coupled with
‘name dropping’ of Mr. President as having sent him to sanitise the
NHIS, but he caused more harm than good to the scheme.”
The committee, therefore, recommended that the EFCC probe the
agency for diversion of funds and contravention of the Procurement
Act of 2007.
The report states that Yusuf contravened the Procurement Act of
2007 through nepotism and other irregular award of contracts and
should be sanctioned in line with the provision of the Act.
Explaining how the alleged staff training scam took place, the
committee said in some instances, the number of trainees was far
more than the entire number of employees at the agency.
It noted that in other instances, some employees were registered
for the same training in two different states at the same time.
Most of the consultants were said to have charged about N250,000
per participant.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has begun
investigations into allegations of misappropriation of funds and
abuse of office levelled against the suspended Executive Secretary
of the National Health Insurance Scheme, Prof. Usman
Yusuf.
The EFCC stated this in a letter dated December 21, 2017, which
was addressed to the current acting Executive Secretary of the
NHIS.
The investigations by the commission started five months after
Yusuf was suspended by the Federal Ministry of Health.
The ministry, four months ago, submitted the report of a panel
on the allegations against Yusuf to the Presidency. In its report,
the panel accused the suspended NHIS boss of N919m fraud.
The EFCC’s letter was titled ‘Investigation into activities of
Prof. Usman Yusuf –suspended Executive Secretary of the National
Health Insurance Scheme’.
Besides the EFCC, the Independent Corrupt Practices and other
related Offences Commission is investigating the suspended
executive secretary and four other officials of the NHIS.
The ICPC, in its letter dated December 11, 2017, and addressed
to the acting executive secretary of the NHIS, stated that the
officers were being investigated for “alleged violation of the
provisions of the Corrupt Practices and other related Offences Act
2000.”
The ICPC added, “Pursuant to Section 45(3) of the cited Act, you
are hereby directed to recover the money advanced to the five
officers (of the NHIS) and two staff from the Ministry of Health
for the aborted trip to the Netherlands.
“You are further required to furnish the commission with the
evidence of compliance by each of the beneficiaries.”
On its part, the EFCC stated that it was investigating suspected
cases of fraud and misappropriation levelled against Yusuf during
his tenure as the executive secretary of the NHIS between July,
2016 and July, 2017.
In its letter, with reference number CR:
3000/EFCC/ABJ/CTGI.2/VOL.15/ 237, and signed by its Director of
Operations, Umar Abba, for the Acting Chairman, the EFCC is seeking
information on, “All necessary documents relating to local and
international training programmes sponsored by the scheme from July
2016 to July 2017.
“All documents relating to payment made to Katamaya First Call
Hospital.
“All procurement documents relating to the e-library project of
the NHIS. Documents relating to all NHIS-sponsored foreign trips
embarked upon by the suspended executive secretary.
“All payments relating to the fuelling of the suspended
secretary’s official vehicles. Disbursement of NEED assessment
funds between July 2016 and July 2017.”
The EFCC requested documents relating to the audit verification
conducted during the tenure of the suspended executive
secretary.
The commission also said the NHIS should confirm if four other
persons it mentioned in the letter were members of staff of the
scheme and their current status.
The persons are Nasir Shinkafi, Shuab Mohammed, Suleiman Ilu and
Yusuf Abdullahi.
The anti-graft agency stated that it was making the requests
“pursuant to Section 38 (1) and (2) of the Economic and Financial
Crimes Commission (Establishment) Act, 2004.”
However, there were indications on Tuesday that the suspended
executive had begun moves to return to his post.
It was gathered that Yusuf had contacted members of a cabal in
the Presidency to reach out to the President.
A Presidency official, who confided in our reporter, said, “He
has the sympathy of members of the cabal, who have assisted him in
reaching out to the President. He feels that he is being
victimised.”
The panel, set up by the Federal Ministry of Health to probe the
suspended NHIS boss and other activities at the NHIS, had presented
a damning report to the Minister, Prof. Isaac Adewole.
The report was submitted to the President in August.
The report was received by the Chief of Staff, Abba Kyari, on
behalf of the President but the Presidency had remained silent on
the report.
A top government official, who spoke on the condition of
anonymity, told one of our correspondents that the Presidency had
so far not taken action on the report of the investigation
initiated by the health minister because “a procedural error” was
noticed.
The source claimed that contrary to the normal procedure, the
Ministry of Health went ahead to prepare a White Paper on the
report before forwarding it to the Presidency.
He said, “What I am aware of is that the ministry did not stop
at investigating him, it prepared a White Paper on the report of
the investigation. The Presidency has noticed this procedural error
and has called the ministry’s attention to it.
“I don’t know if a fresh committee will be set up to investigate
the matter all over again.”
The source added that the Presidency was also taking its time to
ensure fairness in the case.
“You know that there are two legs to the issue. The suspended
man has also made an allegation against the minister.
“He said he ran into trouble with the minister because he
refused to provide a particular amount of money that he was asked
to bring for the send-off of the ministry’s permanent
secretary.”
When asked if the Presidency would investigate the minister
before taking a stand on the matter, he said, “Like I told you
earlier, I don’t know if a fresh committee has been set up
yet.”
Presidential spokesmen, Femi Adesina and Garba Shehu, could not
be reached on the telephone as of the time of filing this
report.
In the report, which was compiled by senior officials of the
health ministry, the Department of State Services and the ICPC, the
suspended NHIS boss was accused of perpetrating fraud to the tune
of N919m.
The panel described Yusuf as a public servant who “portrayed a
holier than thou attitude but at the background, milked the agency
dry” by conniving with others to perpetrate fraud to the tune of
over N919m.
According to the panel, the N919m was dubiously given as payment
to consultants for staff training.
The committee said as the head of the agency, Yusuf was
personally responsible for all administrative, procurement and
financial lapses.
The panel noted “his (Yusuf’s) deceitful attitude coupled with
‘name dropping’ of Mr. President as having sent him to sanitise the
NHIS, but he caused more harm than good to the scheme.”
The committee, therefore, recommended that the EFCC probe the
agency for diversion of funds and contravention of the Procurement
Act of 2007.
The report states that Yusuf contravened the Procurement Act of
2007 through nepotism and other irregular award of contracts and
should be sanctioned in line with the provision of the Act.
Explaining how the alleged staff training scam took place, the
committee said in some instances, the number of trainees was far
more than the entire number of employees at the agency.
It noted that in other instances, some employees were registered
for the same training in two different states at the same time.
Most of the consultants were said to have charged about N250,000
per participant.
Read more https://nairalaw.com/alleged-n919m-fraud-efcc-icpc-begin-probe-of-suspended-nhis-boss/