Police escort suspended NHIS boss into premises, tear gas staff

Mon, Oct 22, 2018 | By publisher


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About 50 Policemen broke the gates to the headquarters of the National Health Insurance Scheme, NIHIS, and escorted Usman Yusuf, the suspended executive secretary, into the premises. Eye witness said that the policemen fired tear gas to disperse members of staff, who had attempted to prevent Yusuf from gaining entry into the premises.

The deployment of Police in the headquarters of the scheme was said to prevent a possible face-off between the suspended NIHS boss and members of the Association of Senior Civil Servants of Nigeria.

Yusuf, who was suspended by the governing council of the NHIS on Thursday, October 18, ignored the resolution of the council, insisting that the board had no power to suspend him as this was the exclusive power of the Nigerian president.

Speaking with The Cable, however, Razaq Omomeji, chairman of the NHIS chapter of the Association of Senior Civil Servants of Nigeria, said Yusuf would meet his waterloo if he stepped into the office on Monday, October 22.

Reacting to Yusuf’s non-compliance with the suspension, Omomeji said the suspended ES misinterpreted the Act setting up the agency. Omomeji explained that the governing board suspended Yusuf, not sack him. He said by suspending Yusuf, the board had lived up to its role as an ambassador of the anti-corruption crusade of the president.

“The council has the power to suspend him and he remains suspended. Not only on suspension, he is to face a panel,” he said, adding: “They are both appointees of the president. Should there be any infraction between them, the council can resolve to put them on suspension.

“They are not sacking him. There are allegations of corruption against him. The panel has decided that he has to face it. So, he can be placed on suspension while the investigation is going on to ascertain the allegations against him.

“Among the reasons he was found wanting is an image capturing machine which the highest amount you can get it in this country is between N400,000 and N450,000; he quoted it as N7.5m to the council.

“If the council had not been careful and had blindly approved it for him, they would say the council connived with him to steal our money. And this is the man going all around saying he is fighting corruption and corruption is fighting back. Who is fighting corruption?

“He has been suspended. If he comes near the office, he will meet his waterloo; let him accept it,” Omomeji said.

 

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