President John Dramani Mahama has initiated a comprehensive probe into the National Service Authority’s operations, following the startling discovery of 81,885 suspected ghost names on its payroll. This egregious anomaly was unearthed during a meticulous headcount of active National Service personnel, conducted by the Ministry of Finance as part of a broader effort to settle outstanding allowance arrears dating back to August 2024 ¹.
The verification exercise revealed a staggering discrepancy between the actual number of service personnel and the figures previously presented by the former NSA management. Specifically, the headcount identified 98,145 active personnel, whereas the previous management had submitted a whopping 180,030 names for allowance payments. This glaring irregularity prompted the Ministry of Finance to release GH₵226,019,224 to cover payments for the verified personnel, a sum significantly lower than the initial amount ².
In response to this scandal, President Mahama has directed the National Investigations Bureau (NIB) to conduct an immediate and thorough investigation into the NSA’s operations. The President has also instructed the new leadership of the Authority to implement urgent reforms aimed at preventing a recurrence of such fraudulent activities. These reforms are expected to introduce stringent verification processes and technological interventions to enhance transparency in the disbursement of allowances ³.
The discovery of this large-scale payroll fraud has raised serious concerns over the scale of financial mismanagement within the Authority and the potential loss of millions of cedis in fraudulent payments. President Mahama’s swift intervention underscores his administration’s commitment to tackling corruption and enforcing institutional accountability. As the investigation unfolds, the government is expected to take decisive action against individuals found culpable in the scandal, with legal and administrative consequences anticipated for those responsible for inflating the payroll with ghost names.
Source: Richard Nana Appiah Kubi/Ahotoronline.com
