The National Association of
Nigeria Students has faulted the allegations of corruption against the
reinstated Executive Secretary of the National Health Insurance Scheme, Prof.
Yusuf Usman.
The association said this in a
statement made available to the News Agency of Nigeria on Friday in Abuja by
its National Director of Health, Chukwu-Ani John.
It said that the allegation was
“deceptive and based on unsubstantiated evidence’’.
The statement said: “We
understand that the committee set up by the Minister of Health to investigate
Prof. Yusuf was not independent.
“And that 20 out of the 23
allegations levelled against Prof. Yusuf were unsubstantiated with no
reasonable evidence.”
The association commended
President Muhammadu Buhari for reinstating Usman.
NANS pledged to support Usman in
the fight to correct anomalies in the scheme in the interest of Nigerians.
NAN recalls that Usman was
suspended by the Minister of health, Prof. Isaac Adewole, on July 26, 2017,
over alleged misconduct.
NANS also said in the statement
that it has revoked the health essay competition tagged: “If I were the
Minister of Health”, in honour of Adewole.
It explained that the “deceptive
and unsubstantiated allegation of corruption against the reinstated executive
secretary of NHIS informed members’ decision to revoke the competition.
It stated: “We are also revoking
the honorary naming of the nationwide NANS HEALTH essay competition “If I were
the Minister of Health”, which we had named after Prof. Adewole, the honourable
Minister of Health.
“The decision to revoke the
naming of the competition is coming as we just observed that what we were
initially told about corruption, and who is truly fighting it in the sector
appears to be somehow deceptive.’’
It however noted that about 850
Nigerian students participated from across the country in the revoked health
essay competition which ended on December 4, 2017.
According to the association,
plans are still on to make “If were the Minister of Health’’ a yearly health
essay competition.
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