NHIS: REPS TO PROBE ALLEGED 10BN WITHDRAWAL

The Nigerian House of Representatives resolved yesterday to investigate the alleged illegal withdrawal of N10 billion from the account of the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS).

It has mandated its committees on Healthcare Services, Anti-Corruption and Finance to look into the matter and report back, for this reason.

The decision was die to the adoption of a motion on the need to investigate the Illegal withdrawal of the sum of N10 billion from the “Insured Persons” Fund of the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) sponsored by Hon. Chike Okafor.

In his debate, Okafor noted that for the purpose of carrying out the mandate of the Scheme, a fund made up of five per cent contribution by each insured person is maintained with the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), under the Treasury Single Account (TSA) policy for the administration of the Scheme.

He also noted that the withdrawal of monies from such designated accounts under the TSA at the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), by any government agency is done upon the request of the Chief Accounting Officer of the Agency.

He however informed the house that two withdrawals of N5 billion each (totaling N10 billion) were made from the “Insured Persons” Funds account with the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) on 28 December, 2016 and 11 January, 2018 respectively adding that the withdrawals were made while the Executive-Secretary of the Scheme, Prof. Usman Yusuf, was suspended.

Okafor explained, “Upon inquiry the executive-secretary informed the committee that neither him nor any staff of the agency made any request for either of the two withdrawals stating that the withdrawals were authorized by the minister of Finance without the input of the agency and in contravention of the laws and regulations governing such actions.
“Such practices, if not checked, will erode public and international confidence in the Scheme and make a mockery of the anti-corruption stance of the present government”.

The members supported calls for the summons of minister of Finance, Kemi Adeosun and the governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Godwin Emefiele to shed light on how the withdrawals were authorised.
In his contribution, Hon. Muhammed Sani-Abdu, who worried that the TSA may be mismanaged, also noted the need for anti-graft agencies to investigate the transactions.

Recall that the health services committee in a meeting with the NHIS chief shortly after his recall in February, sought clarification on the alleged disappearance of N10 billion from the agency’s coffers.

In his response, Yusuf maintained that the money was not missing from the agency’ vault and explained that the money was erroneously transferred to the consolidated revenue account, at the instance of the Ministry of Finance and the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation who view NHIS as a revenue generating agency.

The executive secretary further informed that the said N8.8 billion was paid into consolidated revenue account following a memo from the Federal Ministry of Finance that NHIS pay for “operational surplus” as a revenue generating agency.

Comments

NIGERIAN SENATE REJECTS BUHARI'S CHOICE FOR INEC REC JOB

One of the three nominees for the position of Resident electoral commisioner, Ahmed Mahmud, screened by the Senate on Thursday was rejected. His name was included in a list of nominees President Muhammadu Buhari forwarded to the Senate for approval. Senator Sulieman Nazif, representing Bauchi north, led the opposition against Mahmud. Nazif told his colleagues that Mahmud did not have the backing of his state governor, Abdullaziz Yari, and some stakeholders. However, two other nominees sailed through the screening process. They are Rufus Akeju and Mahmud Isah, who were nominated as the RECs representing Lagos state and Kebbi state respectively.

Harry Kane breaks league goal Records, overtakes messi

Harry Kane set a new record for the most Premier League goals in a calendar year as the Tottenham forward scored for the 37th time in 2017. Kane’s 22nd minute header against Southampton at Wembley on Tuesday took him past Alan Shearer’s previous record, which was set when he played for Blackburn in 1995. The 24-year-old admitted he was keen to break Shearer’s record after he moved level with the former England star with a hat-trick in Tottenham’s win at Burnley on Saturday. Kane now has 22 goals for Tottenham in all competitions this season.

BILLY GRAHAM, evangelist AND COUNCELOR TO PRESIDENT IS DEAD

Billy Graham, the charismatic North Carolina pastor who took his evangelizing crusades around the country and the globe, died on Wednesday morning, according to officials of his organization. He was 99. Graham achieved a reach unlike any other evangelist, serving as a counselor or minister to a dozen U.S. presidents. He preached to an estimated 215 million people in 185 countries around the world during his life, and his message reached millions more as he maintained a near-constant presence on radio, television and the internet. Graham also wrote more than two dozen books, including his 1997 memoir, "Just as I Am," which was a New York Times best-seller. Graham was a steady presence among top leaders in this country, providing prayer and personal advice to every president starting with Harry S. Truman. In recent years, he took on a reduced role, but still earned the praise of President Donald Trump, who in a tweet after Graham's death called him the "GR...

SEE WHY THE WORLD DISRESPECTS AFRICA.

A former American Ambassador to Nigeria has spoken out about why the rest of the world still disrespects the African continent Amb. Walter Carrington (OFR), a former American Ambassador to Nigeria, has said that the failure of Africa to fully realise its potential has earned it scorn rather than respect in the comity of nations. The outspoken diplomat noted that the failure of the continent’s leaders to guarantee socio-political development was robbing it of an enviable place on the global scale. Carrington dissected Africa’s dilemmas in Lagos on Monday when he delivered a lecture titled Nigeria and Africa in a Changing World. The event, which also witnessed the presentation of Defend the Defenseless, the memoir of the ambassador’s wife, Dr. Arese Carrington, attracted many dignitaries from all walks of life. While the former Chairman of Punch Nigeria Limited, Chief Ajibola Ogunshola, was the chairman on the occasion, the Oba of Lagos, HRM Rilwan Akiolu, ...

NIGERIAN BECOMES BEST GRADUATING MEDICAL STUDENT IN UKRAINE

Oyeleye Abiola, the best graduating medical student at V.N. Karazin Kharkiv National University in Ukraine, was on top of the world, as she delivered the valedictory speech for the day. Abiola who was a student of Osun State University was sponsored to the Ukrainian university by the osun state government of Governor Rauf Aregbesola, to complete her studies there. She scored 95.6 per cent to emerge the best, not just at her university, where she beat 564 other students, but also overall in the whole of Ukraine. The announcement that her score was the best in the entire Ukraine was made at a Pre-Convocation meeting held at V.N. Karazin Kharkiv National University , Kharkov by the President of the university, Prof Vil S. Bakirov. Kharkiv University is the only university in Ukraine that has produced three Nobel Prize laureates. There were 49 other students from Osun state, in her set, sponsored to the school by the Aregbesola administration. They all passed their exa...

OVER 20 PEOPLE DIE FROM FIRE EXPLOSION AT AN ILLEGAL OIL REFINERY IN BAYELSA

20 people at least have reportedly been killed at an illegal refinery at Kolo Creek in the Ogbia Local Government Area of Bayelsa State and many others were said to have suffered varying degrees of buruns due to the explosion It was alleged that te JTF, Operation Delta Safe, and the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, security outfits directly in charge of checking illegal bunkering, pipeline vandalism and illegal refineries, have had knowledge of the camp but allegedly failed to stop its operation ever since. According to reports, tragedy struck in the camp near the creeks of Ebelebiri and Otuogwe when it exploded on December 5, 2017 and went up in flames. Community sources claimed that an attempt by a woman in the camp to cook noodles, using a stove, sparked the fire that caused the havoc. An eyewitness described it as tragic, unspeakable and avoidable. “When we got there, I almost vomited. I saw charred remains of people. They were burnt bey...

HIV/AIDS: Michael Okpara University Discovers New Cure

Prof. Francis Otunta, the Vice Chancellor (VC), Michael Okpara University of Agriculture, Umudike, Abia state has confirmed the discovery of a new drug for the treatment and cure of HIV/AIDS by the institution. Otunta told newsmen at the university campus on Wednesday that the finding followed years of scientific research by the institution. He said that the breakthrough was made by one Prof. Maduike Ezeibe, a researcher in the university. According to him, Ezeibe had presented the drug to the University management, Senate and Council, where he explained the processes he went through to arrive at his findings. The Vice chansellor also said that Prof. Ezeibe had equally presented the drug to his colleagues in the medical field and nobody had contradicted his findings. “Prof. Ezeibe is a researcher in Veterinary Medicine and one may wonder how he discovered a drug to cure a human ailment,” he said. He commended Ezeibe for the breakthrough, saying: “He has br...

MY SURE NEWS

Search This Blog