Staffers of National Health Insusrance Scheme, NHIS, numbering 60, Wednesday openly protested against the reinstated Executive Secretary of NHIS, Prof. Yusuf Usman, who resumed work in the office.
Prof. Usman had been suspended from office by Prof. Isaac Adewole, the Minister of Health, following an indictment by an administrative panel which found him culpable of mismanaging NHIS funds, totaling N919 million and gross insubordination.
The staffers, under the aegis of the Association of Senior Civil Servants of Nigeria, ASCSN, led by Mr. Razak Omomeji, the Branch Chairman, called out its members to express their rejection of President Buhari’s decision to return the executive secretary to his seat.
Omomeji, who vowed that the staff would continue the protest until Usman was removed, said: “Yusuf has bastardised the scheme and his return would only worsen affairs at the agency.
”EFCC is investigating him and President Buhari should allow the investigation be concluded and the report made public before recalling him.”
The staffers who started the protest at NHIS headquarters building located at Jabi district were later joined by their colleagues numbering a little over 35 from the annex office in Wuse II district of the FCT.
The protesting staffers wielded placards with such inscriptions as “Buhari maintain your anti-corruption stand,” “Say no to Yusufgate,” “No to nepotism and religiousity.”
Meanwhile, a reliable source at the NHIS who asked not to be named, told our rreporter that the re-instated NHIS boss at a meeting with heads of departments at the agency, issued a directive that they should prepare and make presentation of their activities since his suspension.
“The ES gave us (Departmental Heads) until next Monday to make a presentation to him concerning the activities under us since July last year when he was suspended to date,” the source said.
He revealed that Attahiru Ibrahim, who acted as Executive Secretary during the period of Usman’s suspension, handed over to the reinstated NHIS boss under an atmosphere of candour and peace as directed by the Minister.
