CJA charged government to act on NHIS Report

Accra, July 9 GNA - The Committee for Joint Action (CJA) on Wednesday called on government to correct the malfeasance, corruption and maladministration that bedevilled the operations of the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS).

The group also urged government to publish all actions taken in connection with the Auditor General's report on the NHIS as well as prosecute those identified as having contravened the Public Procurement Act as required by law.

Mr. Kwesi Pratt, a leading member of the CJA was speaking at a Press Conference in Accra on a special audit report the group said it laid hands on which was titled: "Disbursement made by the National Health Insurance Council (NHIC) for the period January 2005 to September 2005" prepared by the Ghana Audit Service.

The report by the Auditor General highlights a number of issues bordering on malfeasance, corruption, dishonesty and conflict of interests in the operations of the NHIS.

Mr. Pratt said government must also take steps to retrieve all monies stolen or misapplied under the NHIS. The claim by President J.A Kufuor about the application of the rule of law and public accountability shall remain hollow and meaningless, if measures were not taken to rectify the malfeasance in the system, he said. He said on April 28, 2008 the group requested a meeting with the Minister of Health and sent a reminder to the Minister who failed to respond to the request. He said the Minister, after the reminder indicated that he would meet a two-member delegation of the CJA on June 30, 2008 but they rejected this long time frame and proposed June 5, 2008 for the meeting. He said the Ministry of Health (MoH), by letter signed by Kofi Amponsah Bediako, Government's Spokesperson on Social Services agreed to meet the CJA delegation on June 16, 2008. He said on June 16, 2008 a seven-member delegation of the CJA met a thirteen-member Ministry of Health team, led by the Chief Director, Lepowura M.N.D.Jawula and after listening to their concerns and subsequent discussions proposed to meet them again on June 26, 2008 to enable them respond to their concerns. He said the Ministry gave them a firm undertaking that they would get the necessary documents, which would deal with the issues. He said to their utter surprise and disappointment, when their representative went to the Ministry at the appointed time to collect the documents, Mr Bediako, instead of delivering the promised documents, handed over to them a letter which indicated that the MoH was no longer interested in continuing the dialogue with the CJA. Mr. Pratt also cited a number of findings on corruption and lack of transparency in the award of contracts by the NHIC. He cited one Adams Advertising Limited for winning a contract for the manufacture and installation of 123 outdoor billboards at a cost of GH¢ 227,120. He said Adams Advertising, which has no capacity or ability to undertake such contract, turned round and subcontracted the job to DDP Advertising at a cost of GH¢185,440. If the contract had been awarded directly to DDP, the scheme would have saved an amount of GH¢29,620. Mr Pratt said Mr Foster Forson, former financial consultant and Mr. Kofi Adusei, Scheme Co-ordinator of the NHIC falsely certified the receipt of 123 billboards to be mounted countrywide but the audit report revealed that only 19 out of the 123 billboards had been entered. He also cited that on November 18, 2004 Axis Advertising Agency Ltd was awarded a media consultancy contract to monitor and revise media campaign and advertisement on the NHIS. He said Axis Advertising was the sole company sourced by NHIC for the job of media consultant. However, two companies Media Plus and Media Touch Production Ltd were also contracted by the council to post advertisements at various media houses and charged agency service fees totalling GH¢35,992 for the same services provided by Axis Advertising Ltd.

He said the auditors recommended that the council should not pay the sum of GH¢35,992 and that the contract entered into with the two media houses be abrogated.

Mr. Pratt said contrary to the Minister of Health directive that members of the ministerial task force should be paid honorarium for only 10 days a month for work done, Dr. S.A. Akor, former Executive Secretary of the NHIS, Mr Ampong Darkwa and Kwasi Amo, tasked force members, paid themselves honorarium for 13 days a month. The three men therefore overpaid themselves extra honorarium of GH¢11,224 cedis and the auditors recommended that the money be recovered from them and paid into the council's coffers. Mr. Pratt also said it was unacceptable when public officers, aware of the Procurement Act and Stores Regulations (1984) were made to act as verifiers and auditors "We are wondering why the MoH has failed to enforce this law by submitting the audit report which contains some of these serious offences to the office of the Attorney General for action," he added.