The NHIS delay and the race against CJN

BY YAHAYA ETILA 

Life can be indeed paradoxical. So this government can be this swift and responsive to issues? This was what my bosom friend asked me when news of the arraignment of the Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN) Justice Walter Onnoghen by the Code of Conduct Tribunal for allegations bothering on false declaration of assets. And Nigerians have been talking about the appropriateness of such an action by the federal government.

This is the twist, a civil society group, the Anti-Corruption and Research-Based Data Initiative (ARDI), submitted a petition against the CJN and the next day; a charge has been filed against the CJN. Amazing, and supersonic! And in an era where decision making has been as slow as a tortoise.

I would be dreaming if there are no political undertones to the whole issue. I would also be dreaming if by tomorrow the federal government takes a definite stand on the leadership crisis on National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS). Yes, I said dreaming because this government has indeed shown that it is selective on national issues that requires urgent attention.

This brings me to the NHIS that has been dogged by leadership crisis perpetuated by a kinsman of the president, Prof. Usman Yusuf. And as we all know, the federal government has dragged and dragged, and in some instances defended the actions of Prof Usman Yusuf despite glaring evidences of infractions he perpetrated while in office. This is also aside from the fact that it took the government months to act on the Babachir Lawal’s issue, as well as that of the former minister of finance, Kemi Adeosun. Also not forgetting that the government still hasn’t acted in the Adebayo Shittu scandal till date. So the question is what happened in the case of Justice Walter Onnoghen? And what makes the NHIS different?

Make no mistakes, the fact that the investigative panel of inquiry constituted to look into the crisis in NHIS submitted its report on the 24th of December, 2018 and till date, nothing has been done smacks a mockery of the Mr. Integrity posturing of President Muhammadu Buhari. I am at a loss as to why an agency as sensitive as the NHIS has been left to wallow just because of an executive secretary who happens to be a kinsman of the president.

That is not it. Just in an attempt to give him a soft landing, the government asked the executive secretary to proceed on administrative leave and set up another investigative panel of inquiry to repeat the job two previous panels have done and submitted reports indicting him of numerous wrong doings. The third committee has submitted its report, and again, the government has continued with the drag game at the detriment of the health needs of the millions of vulnerable people under the NHIS cover.

Who are we deceiving in this country? Is the government trying to say that the infractions or the allegations leveled against Prof Usman Yusuf are not grievous enough to warrant a speedy action just like it did in the case of Justice Water Onnoghen? Is the government trying to say that some people are untouchable on account of either religion or ethnicity? I stand to be corrected. I have many questions as regards the NHIS. And they are: why has the government not acted in good faith? Is there something the government is hiding? Is Prof Usman Yusuf above the law because he is from Katsina state? Is the government protecting and encouraging corruption? All of these questions are begging for answers in my head because of the swiftness with which the government is pursuing the Justice Walter Onnoghen’s issue and the lethargic manner it has handled the NHIS issue. It is my considered opinion that what is good for the goose should also be good for the gander because Nigeria belongs to all of us and not a select few. Let me state this; the fact that the government has maintained an unholy silence on Prof Usman Yusuf tells a lot about an agenda that we as citizens might not be aware of. It also portrays this government as a one encouraging nepotism, ethnicity and religion in the conduct of government business.

As a responsible government, I expected a swift action because the NHIS is not an agency that should be entangled in a leadership mess because of how critical its services are in the lives of ordinary Nigerians, the vulnerable group the government pretends to protect. If this is not deceit, I do not know what to call it. If this is not gross insensitivity, I also do not know what to call it. If this is not the height of nepotism, I do not know what to call it.

The NHIS case was an obvious one that didn’t require angels to unravel because there was a man that was suspended from office and was indicted by a panel from the Federal Ministry of Health, and yet he was reinstated, and upon reinstatement he continued with his trade until the government felt embarrassed that it had to subtly ask him to proceed on “administrative leave” an alien terminology in public service rules. That is not even it. After months still no word from the government. Is this how we can make progress in this country? Has this government been fair to Nigerians?

The fact remains that Prof Usman Yusuf ruined the NHIS, he violated all known procurement rules in the award of contracts, he dipped his hands in NHIS funds, he enriched himself and cronies with NHIS funds in the most brazen of manners. This much the governing board of the NHIS revealed, this much the investigative panel of inquiry has also revealed. Yet, nothing. This is the country we have found ourselves. A country where selective justice reigns supreme.