…step down 2017 budget defence pending conclusion of probe
The House of Representatives Committee on Healthcare Services on Thursday unveiled plans to conduct forensic audit of the financial status of National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS).
The resolution was reached at the 2016 budget appraisal and 2017 budget defence, sequel to the failure of the new NHIS management, headed by Yusuf Usman, to respond to the invitation of the sub-committee earlier set up to audit the account of the agency.
Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) had in 2015 accused the former NHIS helmsman of buying a lands at the sum of N990 million and pocketed 10 percent of the sum.
Another money laundering charge was filed by Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) before a Federal High Court in Lagos, against the former NHIS Executive Secretary over the $2.2 million cash transaction being smuggled out of the country.
Recall that the House had in December 2016, passed a resolution which seeks to halt the release of quarterly allocation to the Health Management Organisations (HMOs) pending the outcome of the investigation.
According to the sponsor of the motion, the HMOs had received over N351 billion since inception of the scheme in 2005 without commesurate result.
Piqued by the inordinate attitude of the new NHIS to the invitation of the sub-committee, the lawmakers unanimously resolved to step down the budget defence pending the submission of relevant audited financial statement of the agency since inception till date.
While reacting to the development, Ossai Nicholas Ossai, chairman, House Committee on Ethics and Privileges who cited Section 88(1&2) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended) decried the level of impunity being perpetuated by the agency.
The lawmaker who was visibly angry by the NHIS Executive Secretary’s disregard for the Parliament, called for invocation of relevant sections of the Constitution against the accounting officer of the agency.
He alleged that “the sub-committee headed by the deputy chairman of this committee was denied access to information, letters were written to the agency, with no response.
“The 2016 budget of the agency was not presented to this committee, by so doing, they flouted a law passed by the National Assembly in 2005.
“We oversight agencies and failing to listen to the National Assembly, you will summoned and if you fail to attend, appropriate measures in Section 88 will be meted out to the agency or person.
“It is upon this premise, that I am asking this committee to step down attending to the NHIS until the proper thing is done,” Ossai said.
While ruling on the motion which was unanimously adopted by the committee, Chike Okafor, chairman of the Committee said the NHIS will only be allowed to present its 2017 budget after it has appeared before the sub-committee mandated to conduct a forensic audit of its account.
The lawmaker directed the NHIS to appear before the sub-committee headed by the Deputy Chairman of the Healthcare Services Committee, Mohammed Usman, to give a detailed presentation of its financial status, saying it must do this before the agency’s next appearance date Tuesday February 21.
In a related development, Yetunde Oni, acting Director-General of National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), disclosed that the agency’s plan to generate N14 billion as Internally Generated Revenue in 2017.
According to her, the sum of N7.9 billion was generated by NAFDAC in 2016 out of which 25 percent was remitted to the Federation Account, while 75 percent of the fund was used in running the agency.
