I will not obey your suspension order, NHIS boss tells Nigeria’s Health Minister

July 14, 2017Ayodamola Owoseye

Executive Secretary of the National Health Insurance Scheme, Usman Yusuf [Photo: Concise News]

The suspended Executive Secretary of the National Health Insurance Scheme, NHIS, Usman Yusuf, has officially replied the Minister of Health, Isaac Adewole.

In his letter dated July 12 on the official letterhead of the NHIS, Mr. Yusuf said he would not comply with the July 6 suspension order.

He acknowledged receiving the letter directing he proceeds on a three months suspension, but gave five reasons why he would not comply with the suspension.

PREMIUM TIMES broke the news of Mr. Yusuf’s suspension last week over corruption allegations.

Mr. Yusuf, 54, took over the state-run health insurance provider on July 29, 2016.

But his reign at the health ministry parastatal has been fraught with allegations of fraud.

The suspension came weeks after the Senate launched investigations into his activities as the NHIS chief.

The lawmakers accused Mr. Yusuf of “corrupt expenditure of N292 million” which he allegedly spent on health care training “without recourse to any appropriate approving authority.”

The NHIS chief has denied any wrongdoing.

On Wednesday, the House of Representatives asked the health minister to recall Mr. Yusuf.

Mr. Adewole had ordered the suspension to allow for unhindered investigation of the corruption allegations.

Health Minister, Prof. Isaac Adewole

On Thursday, a civic group criticised the House of Reps for calling for the recall of the suspended official until the ordered investigation was concluded.

More details later…

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Top News

bigbang

What are the five reasons? The police must enforce the suspension.
Godwin

if you would not comply with suspension then you should have resigned but since you think say na your papa get the office,Mr Minister please show the man the door out .if not for anything for law and order
Nuraddeen Usman

The good part of it, this man never claimed that his suspension is on the basis of tribe or faith. Surely, had it been this man had come from another part of the country, some wailers would have started attributing the crisis on the basis of ethnicity or religion. Some people were killed in Taraba, no religious group that condemned the genocide. So advocacy of justice in Nigeria is clearly based on religious and ethnic sentiments. How do we expect development?
- Godfrey Etokebe
  
  Is it because he is from the part of the country that he comes from that he cannot obey a directive from his boss and may be the senate? And/or alternatively, is it because he belongs to a particular ethnic and/or religious group that he is acting as if he above the law?
- Manuel Tobby
  
  The man is not as dull as you so he won’t openly claim tribe of religion! But we all know where he got his audacity to disobey a supervising Minister from!
MRnaijawantalk

impunity !
Omooba Adekunle Orafidiya

This Administration of certificate-less, terminally-ill perjurer Muhammadu Buhari is a total disaster!
Igho D Amazing

This is a show of supremacy..Yoruba man suspend Hausa man, Hausa feels he owns Nigeria therefore he can’t be moved.,
bigboss

This is absurd. Nigeria cannot move forward like this. How can your boss suspended you and you have the audacity to say that you wont comply? If the minister of health was to be a northerner and the man suspended is a southerner such would not have happened. May God deliver us from those who feels they own this country. With all these attitudes the clamour for restructuring and cessation will continue to go on. May God saveGod save this country.
- princegab
  
  Good that it’s happening at the right time. Nigeria must restructure or disintegrate.
joe

“but gave five reasons why he would not comply with the suspension…” – One would have expected Premiumtimes to state the five reasons. instead of following that with a blablabla – “PREMIUM TIMES broke the news of Mr. Yusuf’s suspension last week over corruption allegatio…”
- Olisa Maduka
  
  I had to check twice for said ‘five reasons’ but no luck.
Fadama

I believe there are ways suspensions are enforced. That should be pursued immediately. If Usman Yusuf feels wronged by the suspension, he should seek reprieve from the relevant bodies. This nonsense of not obeying the suspension must be condemned in its entirety. It is crass insubordination.
Sanssouci

Another manifestation of a weak administration, for this guy to have the stones to reply such a letter to the minister is unbelievable. Osinbajo is commander in chief, has control of the Armed forces, IGP, EFCC, SSS, ICPC and a minuscule ES because he is from Katsina is still writing this type of trash 1 week after he’s supposed to be suspended? Perhaps I’m naive isn’t a suspension order supposed to be backed up with law enforcement agencies?
- MilitaryPolice01
  
  Once you belong to the exclusive club of the northern or Katsina mafia, your suspension is subject to the ratification of Mamman Daura, Abba Kyari and in some case Isa Funtua. I stated this 6 days ago on PT and today it is clear the trio or one of them have rejected this suspension and mandated the Exec Sec to continue his job and ignore the ‘yoruba lecturer’.
  - James Ojapa
    
    This ES has the backing of all honest nigerians. No amount of social media blackmail will tarnish the image of this great professor. The man is about to revolutionize health care financing in this country and instead of the masses on premium times to support him, you are all calling him names and giving the crisis a religious coloration.
    - Sanssouci
      
      Let him go on suspension first, the truth will come out if as u say he is effective and has done no evil. You have totally missed the point on subordination and acoordinated government position. It’s like you saying Lawal Daura was right to act against Magu, perhaps he was but not the way it was done.
    - Manuel Tobby
      
      I said go and read all the previous actions of your reformist and know who really needs reform?
      - James Ojapa
        
        Since you know so much about his previous actions – why not spill it online now for everybody to see or are your sponsors still cooking them up?
Annax Chukwu

Only In Nigeria will a suspended person make this statement
- Iyanda
  
  Na so o
Ashibogu

And yet APC wants to retain the Presidency in 2019. What happened in Osun Senatorial Election will be a child’s play. Just been reminded of the good news that there will be no APC in 2019. The Party go don break into pieces like dry bread.
donMe$$i

Anyone who still doesn’t realize the jackals & hyenas have the backing of the lion king needs to have his cranium checked.
SW-APC minions..how market na?
Lolz!!!!
- aisha ani
  
  The backing of someone that is in a “progressive vegetative state”?
www.electionoffenders.ng

This administration appears weak and dysfunctional.

The energy, dynamism and aggressive pursuit of a real ‘change agenda’ is absolutely lacking.

I have great respect for President Buhari but i must speak frankly and say this administration lacks color, passion and elicits no enthusiasm in citizens at ALL.

Yes; low oil prices, yes; recession, yes; PDP messed things up, but there is still no excuse whatsoever for this level of lethargy and evident lack of capacity to set things straight.

Dont know if they can turn this around within the time frame they have left. Wishing our leaders and Nigeria the best and Gods guidance.
- Victor
  
  Thumbs up. Comment of the day
- Zprime
  
  Excellent comment. This regime doesn’t have what it takes to manage a country like Nigeria.
MilitaryPolice01

Which way Nigeria ? Day by day, minute by minute, those that called Nigeria a Zoological Republic are being vindicated.
Olisa Maduka

@PremiumTimes Where are the five reasons?
- Patrick Otobo
  
  Please help me Musikilu Mojeed, the Editor-in-Chief!! They are just experts in yellow journalism!!!
Alhaji

Yusuf is telling the minister that he is a northern muslim born to steal and installed by Buhari who is a muslim. How dare you southern infidel suspending me? Those who say Nigeria is indivisible must exam their brains.
- FineBoy
  
  One of the Jackals here commenting.
  
  Premium Times told you he gave 5 reasons and yet failed to mention any.
  
  Simply fanning the embers of hate
  - James Ojapa
    
    Premium times is obviously playing the tune of their paymasters. Their bias against prof yusuf is glaring.
realist

Everybody is becoming a law to themselves. No discipline, no checks.
- Lagoswatch
  
  @disqus_4oEmKZ4v8H:disqus
  
  Public Letter to Christian Association of Nigeria (C.A.N)
  
  THE CHRISTIAN ASSOCIATION OF NIGERIA
  needs the Holy Spirit to see that barbarians are at the gates. They are still
  kneeling down and singing the hymns. Raji Fashola used this same deception
  in Lagos state to create a case and controversy for a court of law to have
  jurisdiction, by pretending to ban the Hijab in Lagos public schools just so
  that the Muslims can go to the Lagos High court studded by Muslim judges
  and get a legal right to wear the Hijab in school without making it seem as if
  Raji Fashola himself authorized Hijab in Lagos public schools. This childish
  and clever by half plot has worked so far.
  - Lagoswatch
    
    …..(2) Public Letter to Christian Association of Nigeria (C.A.N)
    
    A robotic court decision; more or less dictated from
    Bourdillon Road, was then issued; not just to override the school uniform inside
    the Lagos public school at issue, but more expansively to authorize Hijab in all public
    schools in Anambra, Imo, Ebonyi, Cross Rivers, Rivers and all states. Court of Appeal
    rubber-stamped this daft decision. Now, the case is pending hearing at the
    Supreme Court.
    
    If the Christian Association of Nigeria
    has any sense it should file to appear amicus curiae – as a friend of the
    court and file a separate argument. Lagos governor Akin Ambode is a poodle of
    his Muslim masters. He should not be relied on to make any sense at the Supreme
    Court. The point that was never argued till now is this: since a public school
    is not a religious place or institution, freedom of religion does not apply in
    a public school to warrant imposing the Hijab to override prescribed school
    uniform. That is the central point Raji Fashola’s daft lawyers did not canvass
    at all because it did not fit into Raji Fashola’s own hideous plan to foster
    Islamism in Lagos public institutions by stealth in deception.
Godfrey Etokebe

Join APC and become a hypocrite and a demigod.
- Peaceometer
  
  Join PDP and enjoy looting.
  - Godfrey Etokebe
    
    What was Yusuf suspendended for? I shall help you with the answer_STEALING. PDPs were almajiris in stealing as compared to APCs.
    - Peaceometer
      
      He is accused of stealing, the minister is suspending him after house probe and petitions from two people, then, why the cry?
- Manuel Tobby
  
  Join PDP to secure your loot in the soak away
  - Godfrey Etokebe
    
    Evans_the armed robber/kidnapper is an almajri compared to the criminals in APC.
Mani_Kay

THESE SOUTHERN CHRISTIAN INFIDELS NEVER LEAR THEIR LESSONS!

When has it become that a Northern Muslim Hausa-Fulani will accept a suspension order from a Southern Christian infidel?

Is Health Minister Isaac Adewole too young to remember what happened to Alabo Graham Douglas when he was IBB’S Minister for Aviation (1990 – 1992). …….
- aisha ani
  
  If Buhari finally packs up tomorrow, he will accept the suspension order. I am guessing someone is deceiving him that Mr president will be able to function even if he comes back alive.
- Dan Wudil
  
  Correct, Hausa Fulanis are above any other tribe in Nigeria, even if they(Hausa Fulanis) are illiterate. Another reason for Biafra!
princegab

Reps and embezzlers are birds of same feathers.
- kritic
  
  @princegab:disqus
  
  When Osama
  din Laden plotted in Afghaistan and flew planes to destroy the Twin Towers in
  Amrica the other hypocrite Muslims in Nigeria said Osama is not a real Muslim.
  When Abubakar Al Bahgdadi directed global genocide at a mosque in Mosul, Iraq,
  the hypocrite Muslims in Nigeria said Al Baghdadi too is not a real Muslim. When
  Abubakar Shekahu took a knife to the throats of Nigerian soldiers and severed
  their heads, the other hypocrite Muslims in Nigeria said Shekahu is not a true
  Muslim. Hahahahaha! Nigerian Muslims have almost lost their
  marbles in continuous denial that to be Muslim is to be lawless and barbaric.
  If all raging examples are denied it follows that there’s actually no true
  Islam. Like cocaine, every Muslim takes his or her own dose of Islam,
  and gets high on it as an outlaw and an outlier in human civilization.
  - Peaceometer
    
    When Adolf Hitler masterminded the killings of millions what does the Nigeria Christian said, Joseph Stallings killed more than two million people what does the Christian said, Mao Tse Tsu killed more than 10 million people what does the Christian said, Ashoka in kalinga battle killed quarter million people what does the Christian said, Benito
    - Manuel Tobby
      
      You are a stark illiterate for you to think Joseph Stalin and chairman mao are Christians!!!!
      
      Stupidity on the prowl.
      - Peaceometer
        
        What are they? professor
      - Manuel Tobby
        
        Please google and see if you will understand the meaning of Atheism!
      - Dan Wudil
        
        You really didn’t know that those people were not Christians and they actually killed and prosecute anybody identified as Christians. Read a little bit more before writing trash, you hear.
      - Peaceometer
        
        Just as Boko did to Muslims/Christians. The issue is criminality.
Justice Equity

Good morning, Judas Iscariot children how market nah.
The Elderman

@justice_equity:disqus

Acting President Yemi Osinbajo has a golden opportunity to prove his mettle. He should forthwith direct
the removal or dismissal of the cretinoid creature called Alhaji Usman Yusuf for violating public service
rules with an explicit act of insubordination.

Should Yemi Osinbajo fail to remove him forthwith, the whole government of Buhari shall be deemed to have
collapsed – to then speed up a threatened military coup in Nigeria, which may hopefully restore law and order;
if it begins with summary execution by shooting dead a slew of notorious treasury thieves eating up Nigeria.
- Qaqa Abu
  
  @justice_equity:disqus
  
  “The real problem with the country is that Jihad has been launched in
  Nigeria; and Islamists that have been interfering in the governance of the
  country using “Taqiyya” (approved deception) as “Stealth/Civilisation Jihad”,
  and Boko Haram and Fulani herdsmen as violent Jihad, are relentless in their
  pursuit of eradicating democracy in Nigeria. The objective of the Islamists
  (Political Islam) is to supplant the constitution of Nigeria with Sharia
  ideology as the source of legislation in the nation. The conflict between
  democracy as national ideology, and Sharia as a usurping ideology, is
  responsible for the crisis unfolding in Nigeria. The nation is in the throes
  of Jihad.”
  
  …………Army Generals T.Y Danjuma, Joshua Dongoyaro
  
  and Zamani Lekwot
  
  (July 14th, 2017)
Hassan Lawal

..governance is getting increasingly out of hand..its like the Qatar and the other Gulf states..but in our own case..the president brought all these, with his style of leadership,this is what you get when one fills all appointments with cousins and relatives.. its sad..what a country!!!
Peaceometer

You are a gonner Yusuf, take that. This is not PDP government
samG60

I just love how Nigerians will always display their biases and prejudices on the mere sighting of any name that looks moslem or of northern origin. It truly perplexes me, I can’t understand it. Without asking tough and critical questions they rush to judgement if the perceived suspect is a black man that speaks a different African language. There is a law setting up NHIS, that law also provides for a governing council which shall have a Chairman, the ES reports to the council. Has any one bothered to check whether minister has power to suspend ES according to the law that created NHIS? I know the ES has stepped on big toes in his efforts to curb the corruption in NHIS and at this moment one cannot be sure who’s interest the minister is serving or whether he has been compromised. But for people to just accept all they are being told without thinking for themselves just because the suspect is from where he’s from, shows there really isn’t hope for Nigeria. The politics of this is a different story entirely and it’s part of the villa power play, and it’s rather unfortunate that after over 2years in office this government has failed in a simple task of appointing a governing council for NHIS amongst many others.
- James Ojapa
  
  That minister of health is a huge disgrace. I respect the boldness of prof yusuf. With more men like him, the wreck called nigeria can be salvaged. Funny how the minister is so concerned about 292m misaapropriation when a bigger case of over 200 billion naira outright theft by hmos and their cronies is there for him to tackle
  - Manuel Tobby
    
    So you saw the documents and petitions to show the HMOs stealing 200billion Naira!!!!???
    
    I pity the people that spent their money to send you to school.
    
    Please do some before you wasting social media space.
    - James Ojapa
      
      It is obvious you are one of those people who are paid peanuts yo spew thrash online.
  - Manuel Tobby
    
    I respect your stupidity because you want your reformists 960milliin alleged graft to be ignored because HMOs are also corrupt?????
    
    Elite foolishness
    - James Ojapa
      
      No be only 960 miĺion, na billion. Sponsored e-rat.
  - Senator D
    
    Keyboard champion… When did Etisalat give you free data again???
- Manuel Tobby
  
  Bros it is you that is totally ignorant and rash. In civil service there is no vacuum, for all MDAs once there is no governing council the management of such MDAs reports to the supervising ministry.
  NHIS is not the pioneer agency in Nigeria That Won’t have a governing council , and it’s that why you’re so blind to the fact that the same NHIS secretary is under Senate probe since April and several petitions have been written against him on his lawlessness and arbitrariness at NHIS!!!!
  
  So because he exposed the corruption of the HMOs as being claimed, then the N960million graft against him should be ignored Abi????
  
  Pity!
  - aisha ani
    
    Absolutely not, he should have been fired like yesterday.
- Senator D
  
  You are such a clown. If you think someone is anti-moslem then you are anti-christian. If you say am homophobic then you are hetero-phobic. Stop your double standard. These Fulani see themselves as “Gods” and other Nigerians from the South/East/West as inferior. No wonder Sanusi defied Jonathan, even as the C-in-C…This Usman Yusuf should be sacked immediately!
TDaniels2

The minister is superior over any agency that it supervises. In this particular case, right or wrong the minister’s directive stands. If the executive does not like it it should follow the ministry’s grievance procedures or head to the courts. The unit or department is not a family business and if defiles the minister’s order, he should be summarily dismissed. Simple! Let his godfathers in NASS give him a job in NASS. Enough of rascals and rascalities! Insubordination has no place and must have place in any law abiding society. But of course, Nigeria is a zoo, so may argue that it’s ok for ordinary recruits should defile the orders of their commanding officers. In normal and decent zoos, order and decorum still prevail.
Senator D

@Usman Yusuf why will you obey an inferior minister when as a Fulani blooded man you are superior to him (The minister)…ONLY the Fulani man (President Bubu) who brought you as head of that department (NHIS) has the right to remove you. Kai! What impunity? Nigeria has sunken so low that someone who is under a supervising ministry will look the authority in the face and call her bluff… These Fulanis have killed Nigeria!
Senator D

@Usman Yusuf you are like a Son telling his mum I won’t obey you because Dad is the one that said I should watch TV therefore ONLY Dad can tell me NOT to watch TV…Are you kidding me??? That Son must be old enough to find a new home and pay his bills… What effrontery…Nit wit like you…
Amin

my dear haters, before you spew your inner pain and hate against the hausa-fulani, permit you to remind you that, during GEJ administration, diezani alison refused to honour senate invitation claiming that only the president can summon her. so you see, we have idiots who have no respect for chain of command in every administration. blame the man and leave his tribe along also, allow the president some breathing space dear haters
bigbang

The NASS is overstepping their role in government. They are not the judiciary or the executive. Minister of Health have The power to suspend his employee.