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Usman Yusuf, Executive Secretary of the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) on Wednesday denied allegations bothering on missing N10 billion form the coffer of the agency.
Yusuf disclosed this while responding to questions raised by Chike Okafor, chairman, House Committee on Healthcare Services on “some questionable withdrawals”, during an investigative hearing held in Abuja.
Yusuf who confirmed that the money was paid into the Consolidated Revenue Fund (CRF) in response to the letter issues by Federal Ministry of Finance and office of the Accountant General of the Federation, however observed that there was no justification for NHIS to pay the N10 billion since it was not a revenue generating agency.
According to Okafor, on December 28, 2016, the sum of N5 billion was withdrawn from the NHIS account while on the 11th January 2017, another N5 billion was withdrawn from the same account.
But reiterating his pledge for transparency at the Scheme, Yusuf stated that efforts were ongoing to repatriate the money because NHIS is not a revenue generating agency.
“I am sure. After a while, we will be able to refund this money back to where it belongs. It is true that since the NHIS went into account, it’s not been invested and everyday, I live with the fear that the money would be grown. NHIS used to have several accounts in commercial banks. But when the TSA came, everything was collapsed into one big account. I have no idea how much is left. That’s was why. I have been running around. We will invest and grow these funds very soon.
“The premise on which the N8.8billion came was, when I first came, I visited the Account-general as part of my reach-out programme. The reason was to seek his wise counsel on managing NHIS funds especially on investment. I did that because I didn’t want to repeat the same mistakes that were made before I came. He asked that we bring audited account for 5 years, I did. And he called a Director in there to help us. That was when I knew that that in accounting, any number in parenthesis is negative. So, in our financial books, the year 2012 to 2015, many of the numbers were in parenthesis. But when the ministry o finance came, the brackets were missing. They were pulled out and they became positive. So, a deficit of N230 million became a surplus of N8.8 billion and that was the premise that the Ministry of Finance said we had a surplus of N8.8 billion that was not remitted to the Consolidated Revenue funds.
“The Minister of Finance said we should have a tripartite meeting and sort this out. On 28 December 2016, N5 billion was deducted out of NHIS TSA account into federal government consolidated revenue. And they minuted as part payment for this outstanding operating surplus. The Ministry was working on the premise that NHIS owes the Federal Government N8.8 billion that was not remitted as operating surplus.
“I was away from July 2017 and in January this year, another N5 billion was transfered from NHIS account again as payment for what ministry said was excess operating surplus that we had.
“What’s been deducted from NHIS TSA account is N10 billion; N5 billion on the 28 of December 2016 and N5 billion on the 11th of January 2018.
“There is question of whether the N10 billion has been used for revitalisation of Primary Healthcare. N10 billion, I don’t know what it’s been used for. But I can tell you for certain that it’s not been used for that, definitely not.
“Fellow Nigerians, the N10 billion is not missing. NHIS N10 billion is in the federal government consolidated revenue.”
Yusuf who stated that the re-accreditation programme of the Hospital Management Organizations (HMOs) was on course, however warned that the Scheme would not entertain excuses from the HMOs over their failure to pay the hospitals.
“I have said it before. I have had issues with the HMOs and we will resolve these issues because we are all working for one person and one person alone and that one person is the enrollee. We are all stakeholders. Reaccreditation process is continuing.
“We are evaluating all their paper works and it’s been completed. The management will discuss that and we will present our finding to the Minister and this committee will be the first to know where we are, which HMOs have passed and which have not passed.
“This time around, we have said it is not going to be business as usual, where we are going to give HMOs money and no questions asked. I have put on HMOs on notice. I am tired of being a debt collector. They will be a guest of Mr. Magu, I will send them there. They will all sit-up. So, the reaccreditation process is on,” he assured.
While ruling on the issue the Committee resolved to invite Kemi Adeosun, Minister of Finance, Kemi Adeosun; Udo Udoma, Minister of Budget and Economic Planning; Godwin Emefiele, CBN Governor and Accountant General of Federation to clear issues relating to the circumstances surrounding the withdrawal of N10 billion.
While speaking on the current relationship with the Minister of Health who suspended him, Yusuf said it was cordial.
He said: “Professor Isaac Folorunsho Adewale is my senior both in age and profession. His accomplishments are there for everybody to see. He’s ably qualified to be in the position he is. I have never had one-on-one disagreement with him, never.
“If there is anything, we are doing it for our passion we feel for our people as physicians. It’s never been a disrespectful relationship between myself as the Executive Secretary and the Supervising Minister. Professor Adewale. Never been! I have visited him several times. Mischief makers can do whatever they want to do. But this is the story, I have never shown him any disrespect and never will.”
KEHINDE AKINTOLA, Abuja
