The Senate Committee on Public Accounts has queried the National Health Issuance Scheme over its failure to remit N3.7 billion accrued from N122 billion fixed in an unnamed commercial bank.
The Senate Committee hinged its decision to query the NHIS on the 2015 report of the Auditor General of the Federation, which was submitted to the Committee.
The Chairman of the Committee, Senator Mathew Uroghide, who expressed dissatisfaction with the N122 billion fixed in the commercial bank by the agency, asked the NHIS to submit the statement of account relating to the money in the commercial bank by next week Tuesday.
However, the Executive Secretary of the NHIS, Prof. Nasir Sambo, explained that the NHIS Act empowers the scheme to earn interest on its investment.
According to Sambo, the NHIS Act, Part 4, Section 11 empowers the Scheme to earn interest on its investment.
The scheme is not funded by the Federal Government.
But the Chairman of the Senate Committee tackled the Executive Secretary of the NHIS, saying the interest earned from the fixed N122 billion ought to be remitted into the Federation Account.
Urighide said: “The Committee is interested in getting the statement of the account.
“We want to know the details of the accrued of N3.7 billion by Tuesday latest.
“We want the statement of account on the investment.”
The query of Auditor General reads: “Investment of N122 billion fixed deposit with approval of Auditor General of Federation, interest rate of N3.7 billion was not remitted to Consolidated Revenue Fund.
“Four vehicles of the scheme were taken away by the former officers of the scheme.
“N161 million was for consulting without evidence.”
The NHIS promised to produce the documents supporting the N161 million consultancy fee at the next sitting of the committee.