Vacate office for probe, labour tells embattled NHIS boss

The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) yesterday asked the Executive Secretary of the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS), Prof. Usman Yusuf, to vacate office for a thorough investigation of the allegations levied against him.The chairman, Medical and Health Workers Union (MHWUN) FCT Council, Mr. Abubakar Shanabo, gave the charge in Abuja during a protest by the agency’s workers.

Yusuf was indefinitely suspended by the Ifenne Enyanatu-led governing council over alleged gross misconduct on October 18 while the Association of Senior Civil Servants of Nigeria, Medical, and Health Workers Union of Nigeria and Nigeria Civil Service Union on October 22 began a protest over the resumption of the NHIS boss.

Shanabo said: “This is the third day of this protest and we will not relent. I have been mandated by the national body that we are in full support of the struggle.

“We insist that Yusuf remains suspended and must vacate office for the administrative panel to carry on with their investigation.“We call on the Federal Government to do the needful as it stands for integrity with zero tolerance for corruption. If nothing is done, the TUC and NLC will carry on with the protest on October 29.

“The enrollees are being affected and not getting the maximum health services they deserve, therefore peace and sanity must return to the scheme.”

Also, the chairman of Stakeholders Committee of National Association of Nigeria Colleges of Education Students, Mr. Adediwura Adeshina, called on government to address the imbroglio once and for all.He regretted that the scheme, meant to be health insurer of students of tertiary institution nationwide, had been ineffective due to a plethora of problems.

He noted: “I was part of the representatives in 2013 that signed an agreement on the introduction of the Tertiary Institution Social Health Insurance Scheme under the NHIS.“I know the way it started and I have the guideline of how it should function and all the students complied and keyed into the scheme.

“Today, Nigerian students are not benefiting from the scheme anymore. If the system is not working, the regulatory body should take over and sanitise it.”Adeshina added: “ “We will not relent in the struggle. This is a sacrifice and we will pay the price for the freedom of our members.”