Federal Ministry of Health has approved the sanction of 8 erring officials guilty of a breach of their oath of office.
Isaac Adewole
In the wake of the suspension of Executive Secretary of National Health Insurance Scheme, NHIS, Professor Usman Yusuf, Minister of Health, Professor Isaac Adewole, has approved the suspension of eight other officials of the scheme.
The Federal Ministry of Health recently set up an investigative committee to probe the allegations against senior officials of the scheme.
A statement from the office of the Director, Media and Public Relations of the apex health ministry, said the minister approved the suspension of the officers, “in order to pave way for thorough investigation.“
According to the statement, “the suspensions were in furtherance to the activities of the investigative panel of inquiry and the desire to have an uninterrupted and robust investigation of all petitions at the NHIS, including security reports on maladministration and mismanagement by officials of the Agency.”
The affected officers include General Manager, Zonal Coordinator South-South Zone, Mr. Olufemi Akingbade; General Manager, Finance Account, Mr. John Okon, the General Manager, Human Resources and Administration, Mr. Yusuf Fatika, and Assistant General Manager, Audit, Mr. Shehu Adamu. Others are Assistant General Manager, Head Insurance, Mr. Vincent Mamdam; Senior Assistant Officer, Marketing, Mr. Safiyanu Attah; Senior Manager, Contribution Management, Mr. Owen Udo Udoma, and Senior Assistant Officer, Planning Research and Monitoring, Mr. Innocent Abbah.
Adewole said the suspension is to enable the committee set up to investigate “to remain focused, fair and transparent in the discharge of this National task despite the sensation this development has generated.”
The Acting Executive Secretary of the NHIS, Mr. Attahiru Ibrahim has also been directed to ensure the immediate implementation of the suspension order.