The Executive Secretary, Osun Health Insurance Agency, Dr Rasaq Akindele, has disclosed that Governor Ademola Adeleke does not have plans to divert the agency’s funds illegally.
This followed speculation that the Executive Secretary was deployed to the agency with a view to squandering over N2 billion funds available within the organisation for the purchase of services for enrollees.
However, fielding questions from newsmen in the state capital on Tuesday, Dr Akindele said the governor has no ulterior motives for deploying him to the agency but to deliver on his mandate of ensuring access to quality healthcare delivery to the teeming populace of the state.
According to him, the funds of the agency would be expended in line with the law that established it, no money would be diverted illegally.
“If you get to a hospital where you find things not properly done, I am sure nobody would want to asses healthcare there. It is true we want good health and we are buying that.
“OHIS also have provisions for us to make health facilities habitable. It is not true that anybody wants to move money away from OHIS for anything illegal.
“The government is serious about the health provision for the people. If there is money, then there are laws that guides how we are to spend the money.
“Money that is meant for drug cannot be use to buy equipment while the one meant for equipment can not be use for renovation. There are specific laws that dictate what we spend on what for us to have a universal and quality health.
“The insinuation is far from being true but what is the essence of keeping money somewhere when you have to spend it on the health of the people.
“I put my integrity at stake that I will ensure that OHIS is established by law and has guiding principles. In as much as it is buying health for the people, of course, you cannot provide health service in the toilet. It has to be at the hospital”.
He added that only 4,000 persons enrolled on the health insurance scheme from the informal sector in the state, as efforts are on to further ensure that residents take full advantage of the programme.
