The Osun State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has accused the state Governor Ademola Adeleke of employing deceit, fakery and subterfuge to run the state Health Insurance Scheme in order to deceive the unsuspecting people of the state.
According to the state chairman of the APC, Sooko Tajudeen Lawal, in a statement issued by the party's Director of Media and Information, Chief Kola Olabisi, today, despite massive health support from the Federal Government and other foreign and local donors, the state government of Osun has been treating the sector shabily with hospitals lacking drugs and the necessary consumables.
Lawal observed that the hitherto bubbling and robust Osun Health Insurance Scheme, which was the pride of the state under the leadership of Dr Niyi Oginni, has become a shadow of itself since the Ijesa-born medical high-flyer was hounded out of office to give room for a lapdog, and a kinsman of Governor Adeleke from Ede, to take over and run the place like a family enterprise.
The state APC chairman recalled that Dr Oginni was removed in a controversial circumstance when he failed to carry out an illegal and unofficial instruction from a popular Ede-born billionaire who reportedly wanted him to transfer from the Osun Health Insurance Agency over a billion naira into another account, contrary to the laws setting up the agency.
In the words of the state APC chairman: "Today, the agency is poorly funded as many of the hospital and health providers hitherto in contract/retainership with the agency are now disengaging in drove over lack of payment of deserving capitation.
"One of them is the popular Onward Hospital, Osogbo which on June 11, 2024, informed the patients under its care of withdrawal of service to the agency 'under the present ( gory) situation.'
"It was learnt that the hospital and many in their situation have resisted pressure from some state actors to betray their Hippocratic Oath by cutting corners and rendering shoddy treatment to health enrollees in their custodies.
"The question is why should the government of Osun offer pittance and unreasonable capitation to health providers when the federal government of Nigeria has paid on their behalf?
"In 2023, the Federal Government of Nigeria gave a grant of N3,977,667,261.14 ( about N4bn) to the Osun State Government, part of which was to cater for the health insurance of the vulnerable citizens of the state. So why is the state government not funding the insurance scheme appropriately?
"Another deception of the state government over enrolment of pensioners and senior citizens on the Osun Health Insurance Scheme has also been unearthed as only N650 is the maximum capitation budgeted for each retiree to enjoy. Could N650 purchase a pack of paracetamol in the present economic situation? If this is not wickedness, what is it?
"The people of Osun should heckle their governor to account for all the aids/grants and the humongous federal allocation that have accrued to Adeleke's government in the last 19 months. The good citizens of Osun should also monitor the revenue coming to the state from the Federal Government and other donor agencies.
"In 2024, the state is expecting N42bn aids and grants from the APC Federal Government and other foreign and local donors. Part of the money is the grant from UNICEF to buy drugs and consumable to fight malaria and tuberculosis.
"The TETFUND and UBEC support grants, meant for renovation and construction of tertiary, secondary and primary schools in the state, are also included.
"These monies should be monitored before they are diverted for the prosecution of the 2026 governorship election", the Osun State APC chairman cautioned.
e-SIGNED:
Sooko TAJUDEEN LAWAL, Chairman, Osun State APC.
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