EFCC recovers N5.4bn for NHIS

The Executive Secretary of National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS), Prof Muhammad Nasir Sambo, said on Thursday the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has recovered N5.4 billion out of the N12.085 billion allegedly misappropriated by some former officials of the agency.

Sambo disclosed this when he led the management of the agency on a courtesy visit to the EFCC headquarters in Abuja.

He said: “In total, the EFCC has been able to recover about N5.4 billion for us out of the N12.085 billion that has been trapped. This is a monumental achievement and that is why we will ensure that we remain good partners to the EFCC. I assure you that every kobo recovered will be judiciously utilized.”

NHIS chief also briefed the commission on the reforms in the agency.

According to him, one of these is the recruitment of health professionals to enhance the capacity of the NHIS to respond to the demands of subscribers and other stakeholders in the sector.

In his remarks, the EFCC Chairman, Abdulrasheed Bawa, reaffirmed the commission’s resolve to work with the agency in achieving universal health coverage.

He was represented at the meeting by the commission’s Director of Operations, Abdulkarim Chukkol.

Bawa said: “The EFCC has no choice but to work with you, to make you succeed. We will always see to it that the investigation that we are doing, we will continue with it. We are happy that it is yielding results and all the funds that are recovered are being put to good use.

“So, we will not relent in our efforts to see that every kobo that is lost is recovered for the benefit of the country.”