African Democratic Congress (ADC) 2024 Local Government Area chairmanship candidate in Isiala Mbano LGA of Imo State, High Chief Collins Osuagwu, PhD, has condemned in strong terms, a recent article by a Special Adviser to Governor Hope Uzodimma suggesting that the recently introduced Imo State Health Insurance Scheme is a very sensitive matter which the specific details need not be made public.
“I came across an article written by someone who is supposed to be a Special Adviser to the Governor in a veiled attempt to mask the so-called Imo Health Insurance Scheme in secrecy as if the government is a secret cult of sorts”
Osuagwu, a philanthropist-turned activist politician and Chairman of Zeus Marina Oil and Gas Limited, in a chat with journalists, queried, “How can a Special Adviser to the Governor in defence of a scheme meant for the public, state that there are aspects of the scheme that are too sensitive to be made public? Really? On which planet in today’s democratic global village driven by transparency and accountability is that done?”
Citing an example, Osuagwu further queried, “in the first instance, if the communities rush to enroll in order to win the undisclosed amount of monetary reward promised by the Governor, then at the end, discover that the amount is a total of one thousand naira for the victorious community, what happens? Would that be worth the hassle and stampede to enroll? People must know about initio every bit of information concerning a public scheme before getting involved because this is not a father Christmas kind of business between the Government and the citizens”
“There are also the unanswered questions of the number of functional health care facilities in the state as well as qualified personnel begging for answers”
He concluded by saying that “a system that subjugates citizens to abject poverty and inadequate enlightenment where they cannot pay their medical bills without politicians playing God and supposedly donating to them just to survive is absurd”