Sylvester Mensah: I was relieved, I did not resign

Contrary to media reports that former Chief Executive Officer of the National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA) had resigned his position, Sylvester Mensah has disclosed that his tenure as CEO had elapsed and he was duly relieved of his post.

Speaking on Peace FM's 'kokrokoo' program, the former La Dadekotopon Member of Parliament conceded that he had sent a communication to his staff nationwide about his imminent exit; he adds that a slant was put to his communication which was wrong.

He explained thus: "... someone picks that internal memo, decided to put his own heading on it and everybody takes the heading without reading the content. Resignation letters are addressed to the appointing authority, and I don't know how people read the heading, read the content and decide to put out such misleading information. In any case, I want to say that it (that I resigned) is not true."

He disclosed that his five-year tenure should have ended last year, but the appointing authority (the President) gave him an extension of a year which elapsed hence his being relieved of his post, a role he is happy and privileged to have served in over the years.

“I should have left last year because my term ended last year. My appointment letter put me in a five-year contract. I have been relieved of my post. I am happy in my capacity of a Ghanaian having served my country. I served for six years and I am exceedingly grateful and thankful,” he added.

He, however, denied that his relieve as boss of the health insurance outfit was to allow him take up a ministerial position in the coming days, he insisted that such a decision or appointment did not lie with him but with the president.

Mr. Sylvester Mensah has been head of the National Health Insurance Scheme and superintended over its transition into an authority, overseeing major restructuring of the state enterprise including a rebranding of the authority sometime last year.

Sylvester A. Mensah holds an MBA in Finance from the University of Leicester in the UK, a BSc in Administration from the University of Ghana, Legon, a Diploma in Public Administration from the University of Ghana, and a Diploma in Political Economy from Cottbus Political College, Germany.

He also holds a Diploma in Global Health Leadership from the University Of California School Of Public Health and Barcelona Graduate School of Economics, and a number of Certificates from Harvard University School of Public Health.