So much has been said about Yusuf’s temperament concerning the multiple conflicts he had with the staff, workers union and the then Health Minister, Professor Isaac Adewole, whom he not only reportedly disrespected, but also sued for placing him on suspension.
This could easily be attributed to his scant knowledge of the norms of the public sector. Today, he poses as a critic of President Muhammadu Buhari.
Within a few months of heading the health financing agency, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the Independent Corrupt Practices and other offences Commission (ICPC) beamed their searchlight on Usman’s activities just about the time he should be marking his first year in office.
The EFCC specifically stated that it was investigating suspected cases of fraud and misappropriation totalling N919 million in the NHIS during its tenure as the executive secretary between July 2016 and July 2017.
In its letter, with reference number signed by its Director of Operations, Umar Abba, for the acting chairman, the commission noted that it was seeking information on the following:
a. “All necessary documents relating to local and international training programmes sponsored by the scheme from July 2016 to July 2017; all documents relating to payment made to Katamaya First Call Hospital.
b. “All procurement documents relating to the e-library project of the NHIS. Documents relating to all NHIS-sponsored foreign trips embarked upon by the suspended executive secretary.
c. “All payments relating to the fuelling of the executive secretary’s official vehicles. Disbursement of NEED assessment funds between July 2016 and July 2017.”
On the issue of training which is also a subject of investigation, the committee that first investigated the health insurance scheme wondered how payment vouchers showed 1,992 members of staff, yet the total number of staff in NHIS is 1,360.
It is surprising watching Usman going from one forum to the other, and one TV station to the other, lampooning Buhari and backing Sheik Gumi’s ill-advised mission to get the Presidency to provide a Niger Delta-like amnesty for bandits who have now been designated as terrorists. It is even funny watching him on a viral video taking potshots at the President in Kaduna in October last year and hearing him saying if a tenth of Nigeria’s defence spending is handed to him, the country would be a safer place. Nothing could be more entertaining.
But in the light of the revelation that EFCC and ICPC have not closed his file, it would not be out of place to demand that the two anti-graft agencies expedite action for Yusuf to have his day in court. This is the best way to send a clear message to all public officers that there is indeed no sacred cow as far as the anti-corruption crusade is concerned.
Dapo Okubanjo is a journalist and public affairs analyst.
