The recent remarks by the District Manager of the National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA), Mr. Edem Sebastian, in response to the controversy surrounding the ongoing health insurance registration exercise, are not only disappointing but deeply misleading.
He sought to downplay credible reports alleging that the area’s Member of Parliament, Hon. Joycelyn Tetteh Quashie, has been rebranding President John Dramani Mahama’s Free Primary Healthcare initiative for personal political gain.
First and foremost, Mr. Sebastian’s claim that the MP personally funded the registration cannot be independently verified.
The NHIA, as a public institution, has a responsibility to ensure that any form of partnership or sponsorship in its programs is formally documented and publicly disclosed.
If indeed the MP paid for the registration of her constituents, the NHIA should publish the relevant receipts, partnership agreements, or official correspondence—not rely on verbal claims that lack documentary proof.
Secondly, the NHIA manager’s attack on The Campaigner newspaper and the author of the story, for “failing to cite credible sources” is misplaced.
Journalism is not obliged to disclose sources in the face of intimidation or institutional defensiveness, especially when the information exposes potential misuse of state-backed programs for political gain. Instead of dismissing the story, the NHIA should have opened an internal inquiry to ascertain the truth.
I find Mr. Sebastian’s attempt to whitewash the facts deeply regrettable, misleading, and unbecoming of a public servant whose office is supposed to remain nonpartisan and fact-based.
1. The NHIA Manager’s Statement Contradicts Established Facts
Mr. Sebastian’s claim that “there is no directive to register everyone for free” and that the MP’s initiative is “a personal intervention” is a deliberate distortion of the situation on the ground.
It is public knowledge that the MP’s so-called “Free Health Insurance Renewal and Registration Exercise” has been branded in party colours, featured campaign messaging, and has been presented to constituents as her own proposed Free Primary Healthcare Programme.
This is not speculation — banners, social media posts, and public announcements from the MP’s camp have clearly linked her registration drive to her personal agenda, thereby misleading the public into believing that the President’s initiative and policies to health has been abandoned.
2. The NHIA’s Own Operational Guidelines Were Breached
While the NHIA encourages stakeholder collaboration, it does not permit politicisation of registration activities.
By allowing the MP’s face and political slogans to dominate an official NHIA exercise, the district office directly violated the Authority’s standard operating procedures, which demand neutrality in all health insurance outreach programmes.
If Mr. Sebastian truly believes his office was simply accepting assistance, then he must explain why NHIA-branded events in North Dayi were turned into partisan publicity platforms, contrary to NHIA’s ethical code.
3. Public Institutions Must Not Be Used for Political Advantage
The District Manager’s emotional defence of the MP raises serious questions about his neutrality and judgment.
Instead of investigating the credible concerns raised by citizens and the media, he chose to attack journalists and accuse unnamed persons of political sabotage.
That is not the professionalism expected of a state official managing a sensitive social protection programme.
It is important to remind Mr. Sebastian that the NHIA is not a political campaign vehicle. Any collaboration with MPs or political actors must be properly documented, transparent, and devoid of partisan branding or messaging.
4. The Attempt to Blame the Media is Misplaced
It is disingenuous for the NHIA Manager to dismiss the report published by The Campaigner newspaper and others as “fabricated” simply because the outlet did not name its sources.
Media houses often rely on whistleblowers — especially in cases involving potential misuse of public resources.
Instead of smearing the press, the district NHIA office should have welcomed an independent audit to verify whether the MP’s registration exercise followed proper NHIA guidelines, procurement rules, and community engagement standards.
At its core, this issue is not about partisanship — it’s about public trust, transparency, and fairness. Ghanaians deserve to know whether health insurance registration, which should be a purely national service, is being manipulated for political branding.
Instead of attacking journalists or concerned citizens, the NHIA should publish full details of the registration initiative, including funding sources, beneficiaries, and criteria for participation.
Moreover, Mr. Sebastian’s admission that there has been no national directive to register everyone for free actually reinforces the central concern — that the exercise in the area may have been presented to residents as part of a larger government initiative, when in reality it was driven by a political agenda.
This contradiction calls for an immediate investigation by NHIA headquarters to determine whether the registration was used to score political points under the guise of public service.
Until that is done, Mr. Sebastian’s defense remains hollow — a hasty public relations response rather than a credible explanation.
Transparency, not denial, is what restores public confidence.
5. Accountability Must Prevail
The people of North Dayi deserve clarity, not spin.
We therefore demand that the NHIA Head Office in Accra immediately:
- Conduct an independent review of the MP’s so-called “Free Health Insurance Renewal and Registration Exercise.”
- Investigate whether the District Manager acted within his administrative mandate in defending a clearly politicised project.
- Issue clear public communication separating the NHIA’s official mass registration drive from any politically-sponsored initiatives.
Until that is done, any attempt by Mr. Sebastian to present the MP’s activity as purely benevolent should be treated with caution.
Conclusion
Mr. Edem Sebastian’s comments fail to address the core concern — that a national health policy vision is being politically repackaged at the constituency level to serve partisan interests.
This is not about discrediting the MP or the NHIA, but about protecting the integrity of public programmes and ensuring that the NHIS remains a nonpartisan public service, not a campaign tool.
The people of North Dayi deserve transparency, accountability, and fairness — not excuses and spins.
–Prosper Agbenyega
