The Federal Government has promised the full and speedy implementation of the recommendations contained in the report of the Presidential Independent fact-finding panel on National Health Insurance Scheme (PIFFP-NHIS), set up to investigate allegations of fraud against the suspended Executive Secretary of the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS), Prof. Usman Yusuf.
The Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Mr. Boss Gida Mustapha, made the pledge on Monday in Abuja while receiving the report from the panel in his office.
He said the report would be submitted to President Muhammadu Buhari and would be expeditiously processed for implementation.
The recommendations were however not presented to newsmen.
Daily Trust reports that the Federal Government, in a statement by the SGF signed on his behalf by the Permanent Secretary, General Services Office (GSO), Office of the Secretary to the Government or the Federation (OSGF) Olusegun A. Adekunle, suspended Yusuf and appointed a director to oversee the affairs of the scheme.
“In order to create room for an unfettered investigation, Mr. President has approved that the Executive Secretary of the NHIS, Prof. Usman Yusuf should proceed on administrative leave immediately.
“In his absence, Mr. Ben Omogo, a Director of Administration in the Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation has been deployed to oversee the affairs of the Scheme,” the SGF had said.
It would also be recalled that the Chairman on the NHIS Board, Ifenne Enyanatu, in October announced the suspension of Yusuf, after obtaining permission from the Minister of Health, Prof. Isaac Adewole.
However, receiving the report of the presidential panel today, the SGF said, “I receive this report with deep sense of appreciation and I assure you that the report would be expeditiously processed for implementation.
“Let me assure you that the decision of government on the recommendations of the Panel will be made public at the appropriate time. I also want to assure all Nigerians that this government remains very committed to making life worth living.”
Speaking earlier, the chairman of the committee, Dr. Bukar Hassan, said that the panel did not complete its work within the two weeks it was given because of the quantum of the documents it had to go through and the number of stakeholders it needed to interface with, apart from the need to be fair, transparent and unbiased.
He said the report contains set of recommendations, which may be considered as short, medium and long term.
“We particularly wish to draw the attention of the government to the key recommendations for urgent attention.
“It is our belief and aspiration that our recommendations as contained in the report will go a long way in repositioning the scheme as they proffer solutions to the challenges that have hindered the scheme in achieving the laudable objectives for which it was established,” Hassan said.
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