The Association of Senior Civil Servants of Nigeria has said the
reinstatement of the Executive Secretary of the National Health
Insurance Scheme, Prof. Usman Yusuf, by President Muhammadu Buhari,
is “another dent on the anti-corruption war.”
Also, the Peoples Democratic Party has described Yusuf’s
reinstatement while he was still being quizzed by the
Economic and Financial Crimes Commission for alleged N919m fraud as
shocking, and a mockery of justice.
Lagos-based lawyer, Mr. Ebun-Olu Adegboruwa, said the decision came
at a time when the dust surrounding the smuggling of a former
Chairman, Presidential Task Force on Pension Reforms, Abdulraheed
Maina, back into the public service was just settling down.
The PDP also mocked the Federal Government for the cover up of
the cabinet minister who reportedly bought a property worth N280m
in Abuja from alleged corrupt enrichment.
The ASCSN in a statement issued on Wednesday by its
Secretary-General, Alade Lawal, said the action of the President
was capable of being interpreted to mean that the government’s
anti-graft crusade was “selective and designed to deal with
specific targets.”
He said, “This is one intervention too many and as such Mr.
President should allow Yusuf to retire from service to have time to
run his personal business. How can a government official being
investigated for a whopping sum of N919m fraud by the Economic and
Financial Crimes Commission be reinstated by the government that
came to power promising to sanitise the system? This is very
unfortunate. We, therefore, urge President Buhari to rescind his
action and allow Prof. Yusuf to leave the system in peace.”
According to him, the action of Buhari is capable of lending
credence to Yusuf’s arrogant public statements several times that
he could not report to the Minister of Health, Prof. Isaac Adewole,
since he dealt directly with the President.
The ASCSN said, “Thus, if Prof. Yusuf resumes as the Executive
Secretary of NHIS, it will amount to passing a vote of no
confidence on the minister.
“What type of a government are we claiming to be running that
anyone who is close to the President will become lawless, will not
obey public service rules, nor report to the supervisory minister
and running a government agency as his personal estate because he
is close to the powers-that-be? This is the type of action that
continues to give the likes of the United States President, Donald
Trump, the effrontery to be deriding Africa and its leaders.
“The Investigative Panel set up by the Minister of Health to
look into the alleged atrocities of Prof. Yusuf, including
engagement of a consultancy firm in which he had vested interest to
be ripping off the NHIS is a serious public demeanour that should
not be condoned.
persons from his primordial constituency who are on Grade Level 10
in the State Public Service and imposed them on the staff of the
NHIS by placing them on Grade Level 15 and above.
“As of the time of going to the press, the workers in the NHIS
have become restive thereby setting the tone for a series of trade
union actions that will be deployed if Yusuf is eventually
reinstated.”
The PDP National Publicity Secretary, Kola Ologbondiyan, in a
statement in Abuja on Wednesday, alleged that the
“Presidency stinks of corruption and has lost all claim of fighting
graft, as long as it continues to protect alleged indicted
officials of the administration.”
The statement said, “This is a government official probed and
thoroughly indicted for abuse of office and fraud to the tune of
N919m by a committee set up by the Minister of Health, comprising
of senior officials of the Health ministry, Department of State
Services, and the Independent Corrupt Practices and other related
offences Commission and which report was submitted to the President
last September.
“The report detailed Yusuf as a public servant who ‘portrayed a
holier-than-thou attitude but at the background, milked the agency
dry’ by ganging up with other fraudulent elements to fleece the
NHIS to the tune of over N919m through fraudulent procurements,
while name-dropping on the President.
“Instead of allowing for the conclusion of investigation and
eventual prosecution by the EFCC, the Presidency halted the process
and rewarded the indicted official with a recall from suspension,
even without any recourse to the supervising minister simply
because Prof. Yusuf is not only of the APC but also known to be
very close to the President.
“The only way the Presidency can redeem itself from this
particular scandal is to immediately return Prof. Yusuf to the EFCC
and allow the law to take its course if it is actually fighting
corruption in Nigeria.”
Ozekhome said Yusuf’s recall was another proof that the Federal
Government’s anti-corruption fight was selective.
He said, “This is one more exemplication of the truism that this
government fights corruption within the government with
sweet-smelling Sasarobia perfume while it fights corruption against
opponents and critics of government with a powerful insecticide.
That is why the government will order the arrest of Kasim Afegbua
for merely advising the President not to seek re-election. That is
why a whole minister will remove a person after a panel of enquiry
has found the person culpable and the President will reinstate that
person. It shows again and again the issue of corruption being
fought is a ruse to hoodwink the unwary and ignorant members of the
society. No corruption is being fought at all.”
Adegboruwa noted that it was a sign that the anti-corruption
fight was derailing.
He said, “I believe that in this circumstance, given the fact
that the suspension was handed down by a superior, the principle of
delegation of authority would have allowed for some caution from
the Presidency from recalling somebody who is still under probe.
The impression we get is that government is very soft on the
members of the executive. If you recall the case of the past SGF,
the allegation against the Chief of Army Staff, the allegation
against the Chief of Staff, and when you recall the case of Maina,
clearly, the impression has been created that the ruling government
is soft on members of the executive, whereas the leadership of the
Senate is facing trial, whereas judicial officers are facing trial.
It all lends credence to the fact that the anti-corruption war is
lopsided. It has different standards for different people, which
should not have been the case.”
Reinstatement won’t stop EFCC
investigation –Minister
However, the Federal Government on Wednesday said Yusuf’s
reinstatement would not stop the investigation being carried out by
the EFCC against him.
The Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed,
said this during an interview with State House correspondents at
the end of the weekly meeting of the Federal Executive Council at
the Presidential Villa, Abuja. I am not aware that the EFCC is
investigating the recently reinstated Executive Secretary of NHIS
but if that is the case, I don’t think his reinstatement is a bar
to any investigation,” he said.
The minister added, “I didn’t say I’m not aware of his
investigation, I said EFCC.
“I was precise. I said I am not aware that the EFCC is
investigating him and that if it is true, that the fact that he has
been reinstated does not mean a stop to it. That is what I
said.
“I am not saying I’m not aware that he was suspended or any
investigation is going on. The fact that he has been reinstated
does not mean that the EFCC will not continue with its
investigation, that is what I said.”
Acting NHIS boss steps down for Yusuf
The acting Executive Secretary of the NHIS, Attahiru Ibrahim, on
Wednesday met with the senior officials of the agency during which
he asked them to prepare handover notes for Yusuf.
Ibrahim’s meeting, it was learnt, was sequel to a letter sent to
him by the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Health, Clement
Uwaifo, who asked him to step down and prepare the agency for the
return of Yusuf.
A source at the NHIS said, “The acting head of the agency
informed us that he had received a letter from the permanent
secretary asking him to step down and make arrangements for the
return of Yusuf.
“He asked all heads of department to compile handover notes
which would be handed over to Yusuf when he resumes.”
ASCSN holds emergency meeting today
Meanwhile, the ASCSN is expected to hold a meeting on
Thursday (today) over the next step to take regarding Yusuf’s
reinstatement.
Union members in the NHIS had last year lambasted Yusuf,
accusing him of corruption and victimising union members.
A member of the union said, “There will be a meeting of members
on Thursday and a communiqué will be issued on the way forward. If
you recall, our National President, Bobboi Kagama, had last year
reported the management of the NHIS to the Federal Ministry of
Labour and Employment and the Presidency, which then directed the
Labour Ministry to intervene.”
Why Buhari reinstated Yusuf –FG source
More facts have emerged on why President Muhammadu Buhari
ordered the reinstatement of the Executive Secretary, National
Health Insurance Scheme, Prof. Usman Yusuf.
A top government official said the suspended executive secretary
was reinstated because the Presidency believed that the
allegations which formed the basis of his suspension by the
Minister of Health, Prof. Isaac Adewole, remained largely
unsubstantiated.
A top government official who spoke on the condition of
anonymity disclosed this to some journalists on Wednesday
evening.
The source also said the government’s position was that the
committee constituted by the minister to investigate Yusuf was
neither independent nor free from bias.
He claimed that 20 of the 23 allegations levelled against the
NHIS boss were not backed with evidence while others appeared
concocted because of evident alterations and mix-ups in dates.
The top source recalled that Buhari decided to appoint Yusuf at
a time the Health Management Organisations were short-changing the
system, leading to a situation where subscribers to the scheme were
not getting the best out of it due to sharp practices on the part
of the HMOs and health providers.
The government official said, “But barely one year into his
assumption of office was Prof. Usman suspended by the Minister of
Health on the strength of a petition by the United Youth Alliance
Against Corruption and Association of Senior Civil Servants.
“The minister, relying on the petition, constituted a 17-man
committee under the headship of the Permanent Secretary of the
ministry to look into the petition by this body of civil
servants.
“Out of the 17 members of the committee, 16 of them were staff
of the ministry while one member was from the Department of State
Services.
“The request for a nomination from the Independent Corrupt
Practices and other related offences Commission was declined
because they feared a conflict of interest.
“From the composition of the committee, it was obvious that the
committee was neither independent nor free from bias.
“Some of the allegations brought against the Executive Secretary
by the UYAC could not be substantiated in 20 of the 23 allegations
as no evidence was brought forward. Others were obviously concocted
as there were evident alterations and mix-ups in dates on some of
the petitions.”
The source added that in his bid to strengthen the weaknesses
identified in the execution of the insurance scheme and in the
procurement processes, Usman got competent staff seconded to
him from relevant organisations in the short run while a
comprehensive long term staff replacement was being worked on.
These efforts, he claimed, were eventually thwarted and
the officers thereby de-seconded in deference to public service
bureaucratic norms as advised by the Ministry of Labour and
Employment.
“As part of the N919, 000,000 alleged to have been mismanaged by
the ES, it is on record that N411, 688, 704 was paid to NHIS
staff as allowances and also to seconded staff as allowances and
entitlements when he resumed,” the source said.
“Payments to the consultants mentioned in the petition went
through normal procurement protocol established in the organisation
before approval by the Executive Secretary subject to ratification
of the Executive Management of the organisation.
“Records within the organisation show that not one NHIS
contracts was subjected to Bureau of Public Procurement review
within the 2013-2017 period and it was in a view to
addressing these anomalies that NHIS wrote to the BPP and other
similar organisations to strengthen the procurement functions of
the organisation.
“It is not unlikely that there are some individuals or groups
who are very comfortable with the old order of doing things that
are hiding behind the petition writers,” he added.
The source said it was clear from the investigation that the
Presidency identified an acute lack of capacity in the NHIS as
organisation and unless a new set of competent managers are found
and recruited, the objectives of setting up of the NHIS may remain
a mirage.
“This is why the minister was directed to work with the
Executive Secretary to redress some of the identified shortcomings
within the organisations to avoid a breakdown of one of the Federal
Government’s flagship programmes and truncate the intention of
government to expand the scope of beneficiaries of health insurance
scheme and indeed broaden government’s efforts in repositioning the
health sector,” he said.
The government official added that the House of Representatives
Committee on Health and the entire House reached more or less the
same conclusion and asked for the reinstatement of the NHIS
boss.
In recalling how Yusuf was appointed, the source said, “Prof.
Usman Yusuf was appointed on August 1, 2016 to inject fresh life
into the operations of the NHIS after the removal of the erstwhile
Chief Executive officer of the organisation.
“It is common knowledge that the Executive Secretary of the NHIS
took over the organisation following his appointment along with
heads of similar organisations in the health department of
government.
“It is also well documented that most of the agencies in the
health sector were facing credibility issues which were threatening
continued assistance from donor partners that the health sector
really relied on from time to time.
“It was well reported that that foreign donor partners were
threatening to stop funding of critical projects in the country due
to lack of transparency, poor administration and gross
incompetence.
“The fact is that it was against this background that President
Buhari made the appointment and the ES immediately set to work with
a team that he could work with to remedy the situation on the
ground.”
The Association of Senior Civil Servants of Nigeria has said the
reinstatement of the Executive Secretary of the National Health
Insurance Scheme, Prof. Usman Yusuf, by President Muhammadu Buhari,
is “another dent on the anti-corruption war.”
Also, the Peoples Democratic Party has described Yusuf’s
reinstatement while he was still being quizzed by the
Economic and Financial Crimes Commission for alleged N919m fraud as
shocking, and a mockery of justice.
Lagos-based lawyer, Mr. Ebun-Olu Adegboruwa, said the decision came
at a time when the dust surrounding the smuggling of a former
Chairman, Presidential Task Force on Pension Reforms, Abdulraheed
Maina, back into the public service was just settling down.
The PDP also mocked the Federal Government for the cover up of
the cabinet minister who reportedly bought a property worth N280m
in Abuja from alleged corrupt enrichment.
The ASCSN in a statement issued on Wednesday by its
Secretary-General, Alade Lawal, said the action of the President
was capable of being interpreted to mean that the government’s
anti-graft crusade was “selective and designed to deal with
specific targets.”
He said, “This is one intervention too many and as such Mr.
President should allow Yusuf to retire from service to have time to
run his personal business. How can a government official being
investigated for a whopping sum of N919m fraud by the Economic and
Financial Crimes Commission be reinstated by the government that
came to power promising to sanitise the system? This is very
unfortunate. We, therefore, urge President Buhari to rescind his
action and allow Prof. Yusuf to leave the system in peace.”
According to him, the action of Buhari is capable of lending
credence to Yusuf’s arrogant public statements several times that
he could not report to the Minister of Health, Prof. Isaac Adewole,
since he dealt directly with the President.
The ASCSN said, “Thus, if Prof. Yusuf resumes as the Executive
Secretary of NHIS, it will amount to passing a vote of no
confidence on the minister.
“What type of a government are we claiming to be running that
anyone who is close to the President will become lawless, will not
obey public service rules, nor report to the supervisory minister
and running a government agency as his personal estate because he
is close to the powers-that-be? This is the type of action that
continues to give the likes of the United States President, Donald
Trump, the effrontery to be deriding Africa and its leaders.
“The Investigative Panel set up by the Minister of Health to
look into the alleged atrocities of Prof. Yusuf, including
engagement of a consultancy firm in which he had vested interest to
be ripping off the NHIS is a serious public demeanour that should
not be condoned.
persons from his primordial constituency who are on Grade Level 10
in the State Public Service and imposed them on the staff of the
NHIS by placing them on Grade Level 15 and above.
“As of the time of going to the press, the workers in the NHIS
have become restive thereby setting the tone for a series of trade
union actions that will be deployed if Yusuf is eventually
reinstated.”
The PDP National Publicity Secretary, Kola Ologbondiyan, in a
statement in Abuja on Wednesday, alleged that the
“Presidency stinks of corruption and has lost all claim of fighting
graft, as long as it continues to protect alleged indicted
officials of the administration.”
The statement said, “This is a government official probed and
thoroughly indicted for abuse of office and fraud to the tune of
N919m by a committee set up by the Minister of Health, comprising
of senior officials of the Health ministry, Department of State
Services, and the Independent Corrupt Practices and other related
offences Commission and which report was submitted to the President
last September.
“The report detailed Yusuf as a public servant who ‘portrayed a
holier-than-thou attitude but at the background, milked the agency
dry’ by ganging up with other fraudulent elements to fleece the
NHIS to the tune of over N919m through fraudulent procurements,
while name-dropping on the President.
“Instead of allowing for the conclusion of investigation and
eventual prosecution by the EFCC, the Presidency halted the process
and rewarded the indicted official with a recall from suspension,
even without any recourse to the supervising minister simply
because Prof. Yusuf is not only of the APC but also known to be
very close to the President.
“The only way the Presidency can redeem itself from this
particular scandal is to immediately return Prof. Yusuf to the EFCC
and allow the law to take its course if it is actually fighting
corruption in Nigeria.”
Ozekhome said Yusuf’s recall was another proof that the Federal
Government’s anti-corruption fight was selective.
He said, “This is one more exemplication of the truism that this
government fights corruption within the government with
sweet-smelling Sasarobia perfume while it fights corruption against
opponents and critics of government with a powerful insecticide.
That is why the government will order the arrest of Kasim Afegbua
for merely advising the President not to seek re-election. That is
why a whole minister will remove a person after a panel of enquiry
has found the person culpable and the President will reinstate that
person. It shows again and again the issue of corruption being
fought is a ruse to hoodwink the unwary and ignorant members of the
society. No corruption is being fought at all.”
Adegboruwa noted that it was a sign that the anti-corruption
fight was derailing.
He said, “I believe that in this circumstance, given the fact
that the suspension was handed down by a superior, the principle of
delegation of authority would have allowed for some caution from
the Presidency from recalling somebody who is still under probe.
The impression we get is that government is very soft on the
members of the executive. If you recall the case of the past SGF,
the allegation against the Chief of Army Staff, the allegation
against the Chief of Staff, and when you recall the case of Maina,
clearly, the impression has been created that the ruling government
is soft on members of the executive, whereas the leadership of the
Senate is facing trial, whereas judicial officers are facing trial.
It all lends credence to the fact that the anti-corruption war is
lopsided. It has different standards for different people, which
should not have been the case.”
Reinstatement won’t stop EFCC
investigation –Minister
However, the Federal Government on Wednesday said Yusuf’s
reinstatement would not stop the investigation being carried out by
the EFCC against him.
The Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed,
said this during an interview with State House correspondents at
the end of the weekly meeting of the Federal Executive Council at
the Presidential Villa, Abuja. I am not aware that the EFCC is
investigating the recently reinstated Executive Secretary of NHIS
but if that is the case, I don’t think his reinstatement is a bar
to any investigation,” he said.
The minister added, “I didn’t say I’m not aware of his
investigation, I said EFCC.
“I was precise. I said I am not aware that the EFCC is
investigating him and that if it is true, that the fact that he has
been reinstated does not mean a stop to it. That is what I
said.
“I am not saying I’m not aware that he was suspended or any
investigation is going on. The fact that he has been reinstated
does not mean that the EFCC will not continue with its
investigation, that is what I said.”
Acting NHIS boss steps down for Yusuf
The acting Executive Secretary of the NHIS, Attahiru Ibrahim, on
Wednesday met with the senior officials of the agency during which
he asked them to prepare handover notes for Yusuf.
Ibrahim’s meeting, it was learnt, was sequel to a letter sent to
him by the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Health, Clement
Uwaifo, who asked him to step down and prepare the agency for the
return of Yusuf.
A source at the NHIS said, “The acting head of the agency
informed us that he had received a letter from the permanent
secretary asking him to step down and make arrangements for the
return of Yusuf.
“He asked all heads of department to compile handover notes
which would be handed over to Yusuf when he resumes.”
ASCSN holds emergency meeting today
Meanwhile, the ASCSN is expected to hold a meeting on
Thursday (today) over the next step to take regarding Yusuf’s
reinstatement.
Union members in the NHIS had last year lambasted Yusuf,
accusing him of corruption and victimising union members.
A member of the union said, “There will be a meeting of members
on Thursday and a communiqué will be issued on the way forward. If
you recall, our National President, Bobboi Kagama, had last year
reported the management of the NHIS to the Federal Ministry of
Labour and Employment and the Presidency, which then directed the
Labour Ministry to intervene.”
Why Buhari reinstated Yusuf –FG source
More facts have emerged on why President Muhammadu Buhari
ordered the reinstatement of the Executive Secretary, National
Health Insurance Scheme, Prof. Usman Yusuf.
A top government official said the suspended executive secretary
was reinstated because the Presidency believed that the
allegations which formed the basis of his suspension by the
Minister of Health, Prof. Isaac Adewole, remained largely
unsubstantiated.
A top government official who spoke on the condition of
anonymity disclosed this to some journalists on Wednesday
evening.
The source also said the government’s position was that the
committee constituted by the minister to investigate Yusuf was
neither independent nor free from bias.
He claimed that 20 of the 23 allegations levelled against the
NHIS boss were not backed with evidence while others appeared
concocted because of evident alterations and mix-ups in dates.
The top source recalled that Buhari decided to appoint Yusuf at
a time the Health Management Organisations were short-changing the
system, leading to a situation where subscribers to the scheme were
not getting the best out of it due to sharp practices on the part
of the HMOs and health providers.
The government official said, “But barely one year into his
assumption of office was Prof. Usman suspended by the Minister of
Health on the strength of a petition by the United Youth Alliance
Against Corruption and Association of Senior Civil Servants.
“The minister, relying on the petition, constituted a 17-man
committee under the headship of the Permanent Secretary of the
ministry to look into the petition by this body of civil
servants.
“Out of the 17 members of the committee, 16 of them were staff
of the ministry while one member was from the Department of State
Services.
“The request for a nomination from the Independent Corrupt
Practices and other related offences Commission was declined
because they feared a conflict of interest.
“From the composition of the committee, it was obvious that the
committee was neither independent nor free from bias.
“Some of the allegations brought against the Executive Secretary
by the UYAC could not be substantiated in 20 of the 23 allegations
as no evidence was brought forward. Others were obviously concocted
as there were evident alterations and mix-ups in dates on some of
the petitions.”
The source added that in his bid to strengthen the weaknesses
identified in the execution of the insurance scheme and in the
procurement processes, Usman got competent staff seconded to
him from relevant organisations in the short run while a
comprehensive long term staff replacement was being worked on.
These efforts, he claimed, were eventually thwarted and
the officers thereby de-seconded in deference to public service
bureaucratic norms as advised by the Ministry of Labour and
Employment.
“As part of the N919, 000,000 alleged to have been mismanaged by
the ES, it is on record that N411, 688, 704 was paid to NHIS
staff as allowances and also to seconded staff as allowances and
entitlements when he resumed,” the source said.
“Payments to the consultants mentioned in the petition went
through normal procurement protocol established in the organisation
before approval by the Executive Secretary subject to ratification
of the Executive Management of the organisation.
“Records within the organisation show that not one NHIS
contracts was subjected to Bureau of Public Procurement review
within the 2013-2017 period and it was in a view to
addressing these anomalies that NHIS wrote to the BPP and other
similar organisations to strengthen the procurement functions of
the organisation.
“It is not unlikely that there are some individuals or groups
who are very comfortable with the old order of doing things that
are hiding behind the petition writers,” he added.
The source said it was clear from the investigation that the
Presidency identified an acute lack of capacity in the NHIS as
organisation and unless a new set of competent managers are found
and recruited, the objectives of setting up of the NHIS may remain
a mirage.
“This is why the minister was directed to work with the
Executive Secretary to redress some of the identified shortcomings
within the organisations to avoid a breakdown of one of the Federal
Government’s flagship programmes and truncate the intention of
government to expand the scope of beneficiaries of health insurance
scheme and indeed broaden government’s efforts in repositioning the
health sector,” he said.
The government official added that the House of Representatives
Committee on Health and the entire House reached more or less the
same conclusion and asked for the reinstatement of the NHIS
boss.
In recalling how Yusuf was appointed, the source said, “Prof.
Usman Yusuf was appointed on August 1, 2016 to inject fresh life
into the operations of the NHIS after the removal of the erstwhile
Chief Executive officer of the organisation.
“It is common knowledge that the Executive Secretary of the NHIS
took over the organisation following his appointment along with
heads of similar organisations in the health department of
government.
“It is also well documented that most of the agencies in the
health sector were facing credibility issues which were threatening
continued assistance from donor partners that the health sector
really relied on from time to time.
“It was well reported that that foreign donor partners were
threatening to stop funding of critical projects in the country due
to lack of transparency, poor administration and gross
incompetence.
“The fact is that it was against this background that President
Buhari made the appointment and the ES immediately set to work with
a team that he could work with to remedy the situation on the
ground.”