The Management of the National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA) has been accused of nepotism.
Nineteen senior staff of the Authority who took part in the 2023 Promotion Examination of NHIA made the allegation in a Letter of Complain jointly signed by them all.
The letter, dated 19 September, 2023 and titled “RE: 2023 Senior Staff Promotion: An Appeal”, was addressed to the NHIA Director General, Professor Mohammed Sanbo.
They alleged that they were unjustly denied elevation to the next step and therefore appealed to the NHIA Director General to wade into the situation.
The affected senior staff are assistant directors waiting for and hoping to be promoted to the rank of deputy directors after passing the examination.
They claimed that their colleagues who took part in the exercise “were selected and promoted, while others were unsatisfactorily informed that there is no vacancy.”
The situation of no vacancy, they stated, was not established before the examination was conducted. They also claimed that the issue was not only an afterthought, but also preemptive.
“After the 2023 Senior Staff Examination and before approval was obtained for promotion, the Human Resources Department posted some staff which seems to us as to jeopardise the chances of some other staff to be promoted.
“It should be noted that staff were posted from the Head Office to create vacancy for some and to stagnate others in the state and zonal offices,” the letter read.
They cited more irregularities in the promotion process, stating: “There is a staff whose appointment had not been confirmed, but was an acting state coordinator.
“Yet Assistant Directors who have met the requirement for promotion do not have vacancies for Deputy Director cadre as state coordinator.
“We got to know that the appointment of this same staff was just confirmed after the examination to keep the position. This is preemptive.”
According to a report by the Office of the Head of Civil Service of the Federation, “Federal Civil Service Strategy and Implementation Plan (2017-2020)”, nepotism in the recruitment and promotion in the Federal Civil Service affects employees’ morale and productivity.
The affected senior staff expressed the fear of nepotism, claiming that they were told that, despite passing their promotion exercise, they would only be shortlisted for the 2024 promotion exercise, subject to available vacancies.
“It is almost certain that the affected staff will still not be promoted because this current arrangement of consequential vacancy will not change substantially for affected staff to benefit from against the 2024 Examination,” it was added in the letter.
They stated that the NHIA Management may become mired in “administrative disrepute as manifested in some uninformed recommendations that could further deepen needless industrial disharmony in the system.”
The senior staff implored the NHIA Director General, Professor Sambo to note that: “There are vacancies for Deputy Directors in the Authority, both at the State offices and Headquarters;
“But some Assistant Directors who met the requirement to be promoted were not considered in the recommendation for the 2023 Senior Staff promotion to fill those vacancies;
“”Some Assistant Directors prefer to be promoted with the option of exiting service thereafter than to stagnate at the present level;
“Some Assistant Directors prefer to be promoted and be posted to a state office since the Authority is one and staff can serve in any location;
“The issue of vacancy should be considered in its global sense in the NHIA. We should not be posting staff from Headquarters to state offices and staff cannot be posted vice versa.”
The aggrieved staff also called on the Director General to review the decision of the promotion exercise and release letters of promotion to Deputy Directors that substantially complied with the public service rules and requirements for promotion.
The 19 NHIA senior staff, with their staff numbers, included Yesuf Nurudeen O. (0106); Pwajok Tong Simi (0155); Otalu Oche Joshua (0205); Gye Danladi J. (0273); and Agwubilo Chinemelu E. (0291);
Ajemba Mabel Ojiugo (0299); Onyia John C. (0310); Fagite Atinuke Ibilola (0324); Izuogu Blessing Chinelo (0331); Umar Aisha Mohammed (0343); Amarakavbo Rosemary (0356); and Ibanga E. Alice (0360);
Oladipo Adejumoke Oyinlola (0378); Onuora Helen (0418); Oko Joseph Odey (0422); Alawode Yomi Ozohu (0426); Falode Olalekan Olamuyiwa (0427); Egwudah Theophilus I. (0460) and Ochokwunu Yakubu Okobia (1530).
