PRESIDENT Muhammadu Buhari on Tuesday announced the sack of the Executive Secretary, ES, of the National Health Insurance Scheme, NHIS, Usman Yusuf whose two -and-half-year-tenure had been embroiled in controversies with the agency’s governing board.
The Federal Ministry of Health in a post on Twitter signed by its director of media, Boade Akinola, he stated that the termination of Yusuf’s appointment was based on the recommendation of a panel of inquiry which had been set up to investigate fraudulent practices while he was in office.
“Following the recommendations of the report by the Independent Fact-Finding Panel on National Health Insurance Scheme NHIS, Buhari has approved the termination of the appointment of the of Yusuf who has been on administrative leave,” the release reads.
FG has terminated the appointment of the current Exec Sec. of NHIS Prof Usman Yusuf, who is on administrative leave. Prof Mohammed Nasir Sambo has been appointed in his stead.
— Federal Ministry of Health, NIGERIA (@Fmohnigeria) July 2, 2019
President Buhari also approved the dissolution of the Governing Board of NHIS while he directed the permanent secretary of the ministry of health to exercise full powers of the council pending the constitution of a new board.
Yusuf has been on administrative leave since October 2018. However, the announcement of his sack is coming ten months after he was suspended from office by the governing council of the agency.
Mohammed Sambo is set to take the reins of office as the new Executive Secretary of the agency following his appointment by the President.
President Mohammadu Buhari has approved the appointment of Dr. Chikwe Andreas Ihekweazu as the Director General, Nigeria Centre for Disease Control, NCDC, with immediate effect. PSH A.A Abdullahi handed over his letter to him this evening. @ehsquare pic.twitter.com/Bxo9W004FW
— Federal Ministry of Health, NIGERIA (@Fmohnigeria) July 1, 2019
In another development, Chikwe Ihekweazu was re-appointed as the Director General of the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control after he resigned his appointment last week following the expiration of his tenure.
President Buhari reappointed him to continue at the helm of the agency’s affairs stating that the reappointment of Ihekweazu is in line with the provisions of section 11(1)(3) of the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (Establishment) Act, 2018.
Amos Abba is a journalist with the International Center for Investigative Reporting, ICIR, who believes that courageous investigative reporting is the key to social justice and accountability in the society.