Police Takeover NHIS Office As Workers Protest

Policemen have taken over the headquarters of the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) in Abuja, as workers are continuing their protest over the reinstatement of the Executive Secretary, Usman Yusuf.

Mr Yusuf was reinstated by President Muhammadu Buhari, on February 6, 2018, after being suspended by the Minister of Health, Prof. Issac Adewole.

But his reinstatement did not go down well with the workers and they came in protesting on Thursday insisting he should be removed because of the ongoing investigation into allegations of corruption levelled against him.

The workers have continued their protest today (Monday) inside the premises of the NHIS, but the police barricaded the workers preventing them from carrying their protest outside.

Some of the workers were however seen divided, as some were carrying on with the protest, others were going about their daily activities.

But the Federal Government through the Minister of Information, Lai Mohammed, has said that the reinstatement of Mr Yusuf does not stop any ongoing investigation into the case against him.

Mr Yusuf was on July 17, 2017, suspended by the Health Minister, Prof. Issac Adewole alongside eight other top officials from the commission.

The suspension, according to a statement by the ministry, is in furtherance to the activities of the investigative panel of inquiry as well as the desire to have an uninterrupted and robust investigation of all petitions against some officials of the NHIS.

The statement which was issued on Monday added that the petitions included security reports on maladministration and mismanagement by officials of the scheme.

The affected officers are Olufemi Akingbade (General Manager, Zonal Coordinator South-South Zone); John Okon (General Manager, Finance Account); and Yusuf Fatika (General Manager, Human Resources and Administration).

Also suspended are Shehu Adamu (Assistant General Manager, Audit); Vincent Mamdam (Assistant General Manager, Head Insurance) and Safiyanu Attah (Senior Assistant Officer, Marketing).

Others are Owen Udo Udoma (Senior Manager, Contribution Management) and Innocent Abbah (Senior Assistant Officer, Planning Research and Monitoring).