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From Olanrewaju Lawal ,Birnin Kebbi
Kebbi State Contributory Healthcare Management Agency(KECHEMA) has flagged off the enrollment of formal sector in the state.
The enrollment, which was flagged off at the office of the Kebbi State Head of Service (HoS) was witnessed by the State Chairman of Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC),Comrade Alhassan Umar Halidu,the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Health,Dr. Abubakar A.Koko,who were also enrolled.
While speaking with newsmen after the exercise, the Executive Secretary of the KECHEMA,Dr.Muhammed Jafar Augie,said the enrollment, which now cover all the civil servants have commenced immediately.
According to him, “as you can see,the Head of Service and the state chairman of NLC are here to be enrolled and later on,there will be a time table to be sent to all MDAs and Local governments on when and where KECHEMA is coming to enrol them. So,as you know,the State Governor,His Excellence Senator Abubakar Atiku Bagudu has approved the participation of all civil servant in the state in the scheme by contributing their 3% of their salary since November.
"But ,the contributions started coming in last month (January). So, we have commenced the enrollment immediately. First of all,the incoming administration should continue with this important and remarkable legacy that has been sent by the incumbent administration. This programme in Kebbi state would be an exemplary one that would be copy by other States.“Secondly, we are calling on the Civil Servants that are to be enrolled to be an ambassadors of the agency so that, if they see any problem, they should report it to us so that necessary redress shall be taken. And for you the media, we are very grateful for what you have been doing to support the KECHEMA because of people still need more information about it”, he said.
Earlier,the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Health, Dr. Abubakar A.Koko described the scheme as the measure to straighten the health sector in the state stressed that quality healthcare would be improved.
He said; ” this is very important scheme, apart from important to the enrollees,it will help the health facilities itself and the quality of health services to be delivered to the people of the state. And ,Kebbi state Ministry of Health is going to support KECHEMA in it’s mandate to run the scheme to ensure that all people in the state have access to the scheme and benefit from affordable healthcare services”.
In his remarks, the state Chairman of NLC,Comrade Alhassan Umar Halidu appealed to the state government to fulfill its percentage of 10% contributions to the scheme as the civil servants are now paying their three percent so that the state could achieved maximum healthcare delivery services.
