Just in: Senate kicks off probe into NHIS, Usman Yusuf crisis

The Nigerian Senate has ordered investigation into the crises rocking the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) which culminated in the suspension of the NHIS executive secretary Prof. Usman Yusuf by the governing council of the scheme.

Reacting to a motion presented by Senator Mao A. Ohuabunwa on Wednesday, November 7, the Senate accordingly resolved to “direct the joint Senate committee on primary health care and communicable diseases and the health committee to wade into the emerging crisis of confidence and corruption in NPHCDA and NHIS, so as to thoroughly investigate the matter and other infractions and inform the Senate of the findings within two weeks”

Recall that Prof. Usman Yusuf was enmeshed in series of controversy including a suspension by the minister of Health Isaac Adewole.

Also, the headquarters of the Scheme had been marred by protests by the labour unions of the scheme who insisted that the Executive Secretary must proceed on the suspension.

TRACK NEWS had reported that the executive secretary of National Health Insurance Scheme(NHIS), Usman Yusuf, has described his suspension by the governing board as “a coup against transparency’’.

He said that the suspension was ordered to prevent him from exposing high-level corruption at the agency. Yusuf stated this while taking his turn at the ongoing investigation into the NHIS crisis by a House of Representatives Ad hoc committee, on Friday, October 2, in Abuja.