John Ameh, Abuja

The House of Representatives on Wednesday rejected the 2017 budgetary proposals of the National Health Insurance scheme over the raging crisis on the suspension of the Executive Secretary of the agency, Prof. Yusuf Usman.

The House and the Minister of Health, Prof. Isaac Adewole, had been on the war path over the suspension of Usman while its committee was investigating alleged rot in the implementation of the NHIS.

Usman was suspended over allegations of corruption just as the House Committee on Health Services was probing the role of Health Maintenance Organisations in the failure of the NHIS to deliver services.

At its sitting on Wednesday, the Chairman of the committee, Mr. Chike Okafor, said the committee would not consider the budget of the NHIS until the minister had appeared to explain Usman’s suspension.