Nana Addo using NHIA boss for dirty work; will sacrifice him later - Sylvester Mensah

Mr. Sylvester Mensah, a former Chief Executive Officer (CEO,) for the National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA), has advised the current CEO, Dr, Samuel Annor, not do the dirty job for the government if he wants to stay in office for a long period.

The former CEO who managed the authority the erstwhile NDC administration and was relieved of his post in 2015, urged Dr. Annor to be candid with Ghanaians.

He also admonished him not to falsify information about payment of arrears to service providers since that will go against him. He was of the view that, the government will use him as a sacrificial lamb when the pressure starts mounting on government.

‘’The current CEO of NHIS, I hear him going around the country doing a lot of things but my fear is that, if he tries to defend government too much, the same government he is defending, will sacrifice him.’’

He added: "If the government hasn’t paid [arrears] and any member of government announces that it has paid, providers are going to hold him and the government will find it very easy to sacrifice him at the end of the day. He must be bold enough to tell the public how much he has received, what’s the expectation in terms of funding, is for the year 2018, what the arrears is for the previous years, what has been released because it is not the responsibility of the CEO to look for funding. It is the responsibility of the CEO to manage the funds released."

The aspiring presidential candidate emphasized that the job of a CEO for the NHIA is a difficult one hence the need for the current officer to be careful. Sylvester Mensah worked for the Authority for six years and under his watch, rolled out major projects under the scheme.

The Authority also won some international awards for the implementation of the model which had chalked some successes. In a letter to staff after he was removed in 2015, he wrote:

"Dear Colleagues, Yesterday was exactly six (6) years since I assumed office as Chief Executive of the NHIA. Looking back, the NHIA today is a significant departure from what it was at the time. Together, we have placed Ghana’s NHIS as a leading model and an international case study for effective and efficient construction of a health insurance scheme in both developing and the developed world.

"The raft of initiatives we have collectively pursued have attracted international learning and knowledge-sharing experiences which has positioned Ghana as a leading destination for health insurance studies. Our strategies, structures and systems have become a focus for academic research, analysis and template for emulation by others.

"I am exceedingly grateful to all management and staff for the co-operation, contribution and commitment to our objectives. I am even more grateful for the opportunity to exercise leadership in the NHIA over the past years. This mail to you signifies a new phase in the life of the scheme, indeed, a change in leadership and a renewed motivation and commitment to steer the scheme with high velocity.

"I will have fond memories of our collective passion to succeed, the occasional harsh decisions in our collective interests, the affections and comradeship we have shared, the principled loyalty and esprit de corps inherent in our working relations, as I leave office in the next few days.

"It is my conviction that you would accord my successor who has no less capacity and enthusiasm, the same support and co-operation and even more. Let’s keep an eye on the on-going restructuring of the scheme.

"Let’s devote attention to the up-scaling of capitation. Let’s deepen and expand our efficiency gain strategies and above all let’s continue to close the communication gap with our stakeholders. Ghana’s Health Insurance Scheme shall succeed. My appreciation and warm regards to all for six (6) years of eventful engagement and success."