Massive frauds of about N2.1 billion and illegal recruitment of over 250 senior management staff in the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) has been exposed.
The N2.1 billion fraud was discovered when the rate of capitation was reviewed, according to the Scheme’s rules.
Angered by the fraud and the 250 illegal recruitments of the senior cadre staff, NHIS staff, it was gathered, are spoiling for war, calling for the removal of the Acting Executive Secretary, Femi Akingbade, whom they described as “a stooge” of the sacked Executive Secretary, Dr. Femi Thomas.
Explaining the genesis of the crisis and the alleged recruitments, a source at NHIS revealed that former President Goodluck Jonathan sacked Dr. Thomas because of fraudulent activities he allegedly carried out when he headed the Scheme.
The source added that one of the frauds was the land he allegedly bought at N990 million, which he also allegedly collected 10 per cent of legal and agency fee of N99 million, contrary to the Public Procurement Rule.
It was also gathered that the Acting Executive Secretary has continued to follow in the footsteps of the sacked Dr. Thomas to perpetrate fraud in the Scheme.
The source said: “Akingbade has connived with the out-going Governing Council of the Scheme to engage in massive recruitment of senior cadre management staffers of over 250, which is against civil service rule of transparency in recruitment exercise.
“No advertisement, no vacancy was identified and declared, due process of recruitment was not followed, it was shrouded in secrecy and the civil servants are spoiling for war over the recruitment.
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Series of protests from the staff have led them to design an illegal portal, through which they intend to document the over 250 illegal recruitment staff.”
The source added that only about five per cent assessed secondary treatment and that according to the Scheme, any money not used through the secondary treatment should be returned to the coffers of the Scheme.
However, the source said since the upward review of the rate of capitation in 2012 and the implementation in 2014, which was backdated, the money that had been fraudulently pocket was about N2.1 billion.
The source added: “The Scheme has three mode of payment, capitation, which we pay quarterly, payment of primary health care services, which is paid though Health Maintenance Organisation (HMO), and admin cost, for the running of HMO for administering this money to the service providers.
Efforts to make the Executive Secretary of National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) to respond to the allegations proved abortive, even the media officer, who promised to respond on behalf of his boss never do so when contacted.
As at the time of going to the press, several calls were further made to his phone, he never picked or acknowledged the calls.
