Former executive secretary of the National Health Insurance Scheme, Prof Usman Yusuf, has criticized former President Muhammadu Buhari for neglecting his home state of Katsina during his eight-year tenure.
In a recent interview, Yusuf claimed that despite Buhari’s administration being credited with projects like the Second Niger Bridge and the Kano-Maradi rail line, Katsina and the entire North West saw no significant development under his leadership.
He said, “In every region, we have issues. What is the North East Development Commission doing? The North during President Buhari’s government had good representation. The chief of staff was the one who pushed for the creation of the NEDC. Now, there is a Vice President, National Security Adviser and others from the north. What are they doing to address this issue?
“But we complain in the North West that we had a president that we never got anything from. Go to Katsina today where I come from, there is nothing to show we had a president for eight years. In the North West, let him tell us what he has done.
“He couldn’t even complete the Abuja-Kano highway for eight years. How much neglectful can that be?”
Yusuf also criticized Northern governors, stating they contribute to the region’s problems.
“What are the governors also doing? There are several issues to deal with from education to health and others. The other day I saw them going to Bauchi to inaugurate the Government House as if that is a priority.
“Governors are awash with money and their priority is messed up. The reality is in the North with ravaging insecurity,” he stated.
Yusuf, who played a key role in negotiating the release of the remaining 23 abductees of the Abuja-Kaduna train passengers in October 2022, was dismissed by Buhari in 2019 after serving as NHIS executive secretary for seven months.
He later served as special adviser on community engagement for Atiku Abubakar’s 2023 presidential campaign.
