People benefiting from old system protest against Yusuf’s headship of NHIS – AGM

*Says despite enormous resources, NHIS covered 1% of country in 13 years

*Adds, Yusuf’s bringing change to old system reason for protest

*”Reinstatement of Yusuf will bring 3 positive changes: People collecting money on behalf of enrollees and diverting it will stop, enrollees can comfortably go to hospital and access quality healthcare, and welfare of the staff would be covered and protected”

 While speaking on the allegation leveled against Prof. Yusuf, he said the issue remains an allegation until it is substantiated. “You cannot level an allegation against somebody who has stopped you from feeding fat on the system, and then you pronounce the person guilty. We should note that this is a country that operates on the rule of law. If you sign a petition against somebody, you allow the laws of the land take its natural course.  Don’t be a petitioner, a judge and someone that gives the verdict at the same time.  And I think that is why the President in his wisdom saw through this and realise that enrollees of this country are far more important than stakeholders who are writing petition.”

It has been said that groups that are protesting against the reinstatement of the Executive Secretary of National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS), Prof. Yusuf Usman, are groups of people who have held the scheme hostage for a long time and have benefited for selfish interest from the old system, Assistant General Manager, Quality Assurance, NHIS, Dr. Abubakar Kurfi, has declared.

Dr. Kurfi, who made this known on Monday at a press conference organised by staff of NHIS on the reinstatement of Prof. Yusuf by the presidency last week said, whenever there is change, some element in the system that are comfortable with the old order of doing things would always want to resist that change, either for one principal benefit or the other.

He said that the benefit was mostly for selfish interest adding that for the past 13 years the scheme has been in operation, it has less than one percent of the country covered despite the enormous resources at her disposal. “Not only they have less coverage but the services were poor, not equitable and less satisfactory.”

He also said, President Muhammadu Buhari realised the important of bringing change to the way things were done in the NHIS and that was why  he chose somebody who has the quality, experience, capability, the goodwill and professional exposure to come and head this scheme.

“He has enormous wealth of experience and what it takes to turn NHIS around but people that are benefitting from the system connive with the authority to frame up charges against him that led to his suspension but the truth has no side effect. Eventually, the government saw the importance of sanitizing NHIS and the innocence of Prof. Yusuf and he was reinstated.”

Dr Kurfi, who said that the unions had become contractors eating fat on the system, added that the protesters were being sponsored by groups of stakeholders to denigrate what the President has decided. “We are here to provide qualitative healthcares to enrollees and this we will do with Prof. Yusuf as our E. S.”

While speaking on the allegation leveled against Prof. Yusuf, he said the issue remains an allegation until it is substantiated. “You cannot level an allegation against somebody who has stopped you from feeding fat on the system, and then you pronounce the person guilty. We should note that this is a country that operates on the rule of law. If you sign a petition against somebody, you allow the laws of the land take its natural course.  Don’t be a petitioner, a judge and someone that gives the verdict at the same time.  And I think that is why the President in his wisdom saw through this and realise that enrollees of this country are far more important than stakeholders who are writing petition.”

He said his reinstatement would bring three positive changes, people who are collecting money on behalf of enrollees and diverting it will stop, enrollees can comfortably go to the hospital and access quality health care, and welfare of the staff would be covered and protected.

A member of the Unity group/Concerned NIHS staff, Muhammad Shehu called on staff of NHIS to support the focused and result oriented leadership of the ES while urging staff to continue to discharged their normal duties without any fear of intimidation.

“We all know that Prof. Yusuf has already has brought to bear his expertise and wealth of experience acquire over the years to address the lingering problems of the scheme. We must all give him the necessary support he may require to achieve this mandate for the benefit of all.”

A source from the scheme also said Prof. Yusuf was reinstated by the Presidency because he was cleared of whatever allegation that was leveled against him. “The EFFC has cleared him and he is back to rectify whatever anomalies in the system and that was why they are supporting his reinstatement.”

Some employees of NHIS under the aegis of the Association of Senior Civil Servants of Nigeria lead by the Chairman of the union, Mr Razaq Omomeji were seen singing solidarity songs in the premise of the scheme demanded the removal of the recently reinstated Prof. Yusuf adding that his reinstatement would thwart his investigation by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission.

Mr Omomeji said they would continue the protest until Buhari reversed Prof. Yusuf’s reinstatement.

It would be recalled that President Buhari had earlier on Tuesday reinstated Mr. Yusuf after he was suspended by the Minister of Health, Prof. Isaac Adewole, following allegations of gross misconduct.

Prof. Yusuf was said to have fully resumed Monay and currently taking presentations from heads of departments.