Reps probe N10bn illegal withdrawal from NHIS

Consequently, the House mandated its committees on Health Services, Finance and Anti-Corruption to undertake the assignment and report back in four weeks, for further legislative action. This followed the adoption of a motion by Chike Okafor on “the need to investigate the illegal withdrawal of the sum of N10 billion from the ‘Insured Persons Fund’ of the NHIS.” The Committee on Health Services recently queried the NHIS Executive Secretary, Professor, Professor Usman Yusuf, over the withdrawal from the agency’s TSA account. Okafor, in his lead debate, informed the chamber that the committee, during a recent oversight visit to the NHIS, discovered that N10 billion was withdrawn from the agency’s account in two different instalments. He said the committee’s finding indicated that the fund was withdrawn on the order of the Minister of Finance, Kemi Adeosun, without input from the NHIS boss or any of the officials of the agency. Okafor urged the House to wade into the matter and contended that the issue, if not addressed, could erode public confidence in the health insurance scheme. Other lawmakers, who spoke on the matter, equally condemned the withdrawal of the N10 billion from the NHIS fund.]]>