Reforming the health insurance scheme

SINCE it was established in 1999 via Decree (now Act) 35 of the Federal Government of Nigeria, the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) has been tasked with the overall goal of enhancing access to quality and affordable health care for all Nigerians. This scheme eventually saw the light of day 27 years after it was first mooted in 1962 as the Lagos Health Bill. But since it became operational in 2005, the scheme has not been on track to meet its primary target of providing universal coverage

for all Nigerians by 2015. Its poor implementation has not justified the years of spadework invested before it became a reality. For many years now, the state of the health system in Nigeria has been in jeopardy. Even after 55 years of independence, Nigeria still ranks low among the World Health Organisation (WHO) member nations. But health insurance in Nigeria remains fraught with a lot of problems. Apart from being operated strictly with the government’s contributions, the NHIS has not enssured that every Nigerian has access to good health care services. 

Today, there is little or no protection of individuals or families from the financial hardship of huge medical bills. Many individuals have no faith in the Scheme, while a number of corporate bodies have withdrawn from it. Treatment from accredited hospitals is often questionable.

 While consumers often accuse healthcare providers of being too profit-conscious, many hospitals complain of non-payment of the bills of patients treated by them. Clients also moan that many diseases are not covered and they are given substandard drugs. The nation’s healthcare system deserves urgent reformation. What Nigerians need is a universal healthcare system which will increase coverage, reduce maternal and child mortality, while increasing life expectancy of the generality of the citizenry. 

Reforming the health insurance scheme

By Johnbosco Agbakwuru

ABUJA — NATIONAL President of Trade Union Congress, TUC, Comrade Bobboi Kaigama, said yesterday that five months after President Muhammadu Buhari assumed office, Nigerians were yet to feel the change mantra. This came as Julius Berger Nigeria Plc announced plans to downsize its workforce due to government’s indebtedness to construction companies in the country.

Buhari during campaign

Kaigama, who spoke while addressing construction workers at the 10th Triennial National Delegates Conference of the Construction and Civil Engineering Senior Staff Association, CCESSA, in Abuja, said government should know that the change mantra of the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, was not just going after corrupt officials.

According to him, for the change mantra to be meaningful in the country, there should be job security in the companies and security of lives and property. He said it was only when these were done that Nigerians would know that change had started. He also said security should not be left to security agencies alone as everybody had roles to play in ensuring that lives and property were protected. Managing Director of Julius Berger Nigeria limited, Engr. Detlev Lubasch, noted that going by the present economic realities in the country and the huge indebtedness construction companies were facing, such companies were unable to meet up with their financial obligations. Lubasch, who was represented by a staff of the Human Resources unit, Moses Anietie, said: “Comrades, our industry is in dire straits, occasioned by non-payment for ongoing and already completed jobs.

“As you all know, the construction industry is majorly engaged by the governments: federal, state and local, with little patronage from corporate entities and private individuals. In view of this, any distortion in the income equilibrium of our major clients will definitely affect the income and cash flow of the construction companies “As a consequence of this, construction companies are unable to sustain the existing structures in terms of meeting its obligations to staff and subcontractors. lt, therefore, became imminent that there must be staff reduction as well as other cost saving measures.

In his welcome address, the national president of CCESSA, Comrade Augustine Etafo, advised President Buhari to keep to his campaign promises and guard against appointing persons of questionable characters into his government.

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CBN restates stance on BVN for forex transactions

ABUJA — The CBN has said that the Bank Verification Number, BVN, requirement for foreign exchange transactions posed no security risks to the bank accounts of those purchasing forex.

Customers besiege banks as BVN registration deadlines expires

Spokesman of the bank, Alhaji Ibrahim Mu’azu, said in a statement in Abuja, yesterday, that the excuses by critics of the policy were unfounded and that the requirement would therefore stay.

Below is the full statement: “The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) recently mandated all banks and licensed Bureaux de Change (BDCs) operating in Nigeria to provide Bank Verification Numbers (BVN) as part of the requirement for the sale of foreign exchange to their customers.

“It has, however, come to our notice that some customers are reluctant in disclosing their BVN to authorised dealers and buyers because of claims that there are attendant risks to the disclosure.

“It is, therefore, imperative for the bank to make the following clarifications:

“The adoption of BVN as a condition for the purchase of FOREX is expected to reduce the incidence of multiple purchases, round tripping and illicit transfer of funds, facilitate enforcement of authorized limits of forex sales to end users, sanitize the retail segment of the market and engender policies that will facilitate better allocation of the forex, based on genuine demands.

“The BVN is neither a payment instrument nor an account number and, therefore, could not be used to access any account by unauthorized users. The banks, BDC operators and even regulators use the BVN to validate the identity of a customer using some biometric information such as fingerprints and photograph obtained at the point of enrolment.

“For the avoidance of doubt, the provision of BVN by customers at the point of forex purchase or for any legitimate banking transaction with any of the above named institutions does not attract any security risk. Rather it protects the customer against identify theft.”

By Emma Ujah, Abuja Bureau Chief

APC plans forceful take-over of Rivers, A-Ibom in re-run polls —Senator Okon

By Tom Moses & Chioma Onuegbu 

UYO—Elders and major stakeholders of Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in Akwa Ibom State have accused the All Progressives Congress, APC, of plans to forcefully take over the state and Rivers State in the re-run elections in the two PDP-controlled states. Speaking through Senator Anietie Okon, at a briefing in Uyo, in reaction to media reports of November 4, 2015 credited to the Imo State governor, Owelle Rochas Okorocha, that “Rivers and Akwa Ibom states are very strategic to APC”, warned that any attempt by the APC to subvert the collective will of the Akwa Ibom people as manifestly expressed in the April 11, 2015 governorship election, would be resisted.

 According to him: “When the APC talks about Akwa Ibom and Rivers states as being strategic to their objectives, it appears it is their ravenous and ghoulish intent to take over Akwa Ibom State by force and that implies that there is a determination by them to break all the rules and break all the laws and through subjugation, conquer the Akwa Ibom people. It will not happen. We are not surprised given the document that is credited to the APC where they detailed their plans to trample upon the express will of the people by their chaotic, riotous and contradictory process that have been handed down through the tribunal.”

Buhari to ministers-designate: Join hands to restore Nigeria’s lost glory

ABUJA — President Muhammadu Buhari, yesterday, called on his ministers-designate to join hands with him and restore the lost glory of Nigeria in all spheres after they must have been sworn in as substantive ministers.

President Muhammadu Buhari (1st right) and Prof. Yemi Osinbajo ( 2nd left), during the 2-day ministers-designate retreat at Presidential Villa in Abuja.

He said expectations were high from his government, stressing that they must collectively live up to the challenge of meeting the demands of Nigerians.

The president made the call while addressing the 36 ministers-designate at a retreat organized by the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, in Abuja.

While congratulating the appointees on their successful screening and confirmation by the Senate, President Buhari, however, asked them to count themselves privileged to be called for national service among millions of Nigerians.

According to Buhari, the retreat marked the first contact of the designates to the machinery of government, urging them to work as a team.

He said: “It is with great pleasure that I address you today, my ministers-designate, at this retreat in preparation for your swearing-in as the cabinet that will run this administration. We must count ourselves privileged to have been chosen among millions of our compatriots at this historic time to be the instruments that will deliver the change we have promised.

“Let me congratulate you for your success at the various levels of screening that culminated in your confirmation by the Senate.