Days after suspending the Executive Secretary of the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS), Usman Yusuf over allegations of corruption, the Minister of Health, Prof. Isaac Adewole, has suspended eight top management staff of the agency.
A statement issued by the Health Ministry on Monday said the suspension of the officers was to pave the way for a thorough investigation of the agency and the affairs of its former Executive Secretary.
The officers suspended included; Olufemi Akingbade – General Manger, Zonal Coordinator South- South Zone, John Okon – General Manger, Finance Account, Yusuf Fatika – General Manger, Human Resources and Administration and Shehu Adamu – Assistant General Manager, Audit.
Others include; Vincent Mamdam – Assistant General Manager, Head Insurance, Safiyanu Attah – Senior Assistant Officer, Marketing, Owen Udo Udoma – Senior Manager, Contribution Management and Innocent Abbah – Senior Assistant Officer, Planning Research and Monitoring.
The Minister directed the acting Executive Secretary of the agency, Attahiru Ibrahim, to ensure the immediate implementation of the suspension order.
Yusuf, 54, took over the NHIS on July 29, 2016 but his administration at the agency has been fraught with allegations of fraud.
The suspension came weeks after the Senate launched investigations into his activities as the NHIS Chief.
The lawmakers accused the suspended NHIS boss of corrupt expenditure of N292 million which he allegedly spent on healthcare training without recourse to any appropriate approving authority, he however denied any wrongdoing.
It will be recalled that on Wednesday, the House of Representatives asked the Health Minister to recall Yusuf.
The Minister of Health had ordered the suspension to allow for unhindered investigation of the corruption allegations.
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