Zam R. Samin
8 October 2008
Takoradi — INFORMATION reaching The Chronicle indicates that facilities of the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) were being abused by the District Chief Executive (DCE) for Jomoro, Mr. Martin Yamekeh Ackah, to advance his political ambition as the New Patriotic Party (NPP) aspiring Member of Parliament (MP) for the Jomoro constituency.
The Chronicle gathered that vehicles of the scheme, including personnel, were being used by the DCE for his campaign to win the Jomoro seat.
The attitude of the DCE has compelled subscribers of the scheme, to call on the National Health Insurance Authority to bring the DCE to order, else the facilities that were released by the authority for the operations of the scheme in the district, would either be run down by the DCE, by the time he finishes his campaign in December, or a lot of damage would have been caused to the vehicles.
The District Manager of the Scheme, Mr.Edem Foly, was also said to have joined the campaign of the DCE, and facilitating the use of the NHIS vehicle by the DCE.
When this reporter contacted the Western Regional Manager of the Scheme, Mr. Emmanuel Winfred Okyere, on the issue, he denied any knowledge about the use of NHIS facilities by the DCE.
In the presence of this reporter, Okyere called the Jomoro Scheme Manager, Mr. Edem Foly, on phone to enquire about the allegation and the latter confirmed it.
He, however, explained that his outfit had decided to join the DCE on his campaign tour, to enable them explain the purpose of the Scheme to the communities, as well as the free maternal care introduced by the government.
When the Regional Manager asked whether his explanation was the reson why he had commandeered the NHIS vehicles to follow the DCE, Edem Foly could not answer it.
Mr. Okyere cautioned his subordinate to be careful otherwise they would cause great damage to the operations of the Scheme in the district.
The Regional Manager later told The Chronicle, that since the District Manager was quick to say that the facilities were being used to explain the policies of the scheme to the people, there was nothing he could say, but insisted that he would not tolerate the situation whereby the facility would be used to the advantage of any politician.
When this reporter contacted the DCE, Martin Ackah, on phone, he also confirmed his rounds with the scheme managers, but denied flatly the use of the facilities of the Scheme to advance his political agenda.
He blamed the Member of Parliament for the area, Mr. Lee Ocran, for being the cause of the low registration of the exercise in the district.
According to the DCE, when the Scheme was introduced in the district, the MP, he alleged, went round to poison the minds of the people that it was not going to be feasible, and advised them not to register.
That, he noted, affected the Scheme, and contributed to the low number of people being registered by the scheme managers in the district.
He said managers of the Scheme, upon reflection, have decided to embark on vigorous campaigns to change the perception of the people about the Scheme, so that they could be encouraged to see the essence and register.
He has therefore denied out rightly that the NHIS facilities in the district were being used for his political advancement.
When Mr. Lee Ocran was contacted on phone by this reporter, to react to the accusations levelled against him by the DCE, who is contesting him in the December polls on the ticket of the ruling NPP, Mr. Ocran rubbished the accusation and described the DCE's assertion as inaccurate.
According to him, he was the Ranking Member on Health in Parliament, and was part of the House in 2003 when the Legal Instrument (LI) that gave birth to the Scheme was passed.
As a result, he said, it was impossible for him to kick against that in his constituency, knowing the law that was binding to the Scheme.
Mr. Ocran accused the DCE of trying to undermine him.
He promised this reporter that he would take the matter up, and ensure that the DCE did not use the facilities of the NHIS to his advantage.
He told this reporter that he was part of the team that approved the supply of the vehicles to the various districts, as a ranking member on health, for the management of the Scheme, and would therefore not sit down unconcerned, but would ensure that the vehicles were used for the intended purposes.
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