President John Dramani Mahama has directed the National Investigations Bureau (NIB) to launch an immediate probe into the operations of the National Service Authority (NSA) following the discovery of over 81,000 suspected ghost names on the institution’s payroll.
The scandal came to light after a recent headcount of active National Service personnel was conducted at the request of the Minister for Finance as part of efforts to clear long-standing allowance arrears dating back to August 2024. The verification process revealed that the NSA’s payroll contained 180,030 names, yet only 98,145 personnel were confirmed as actual service members. This discrepancy suggests that 81,885 names were fictitious, raising concerns about large-scale financial mismanagement.
Following the verification, the Ministry of Finance released GHS 226,019,224 to cover the allowance arrears of the legitimate service personnel. However, the revelation of ghost names has prompted President Mahama to demand urgent reforms within the NSA to prevent such fraudulent activities from recurring.
In a statement signed by Felix Kwakye Ofosu, MP, and spokesperson to the President, the government emphasized its commitment to accountability and transparency in public service institutions. President Mahama has tasked the NSA’s new management with implementing stringent measures to safeguard the payroll system and prevent future financial losses.
The findings have sparked widespread concern among stakeholders, with many calling for swift action to hold those responsible accountable. The NIB’s investigation is expected to uncover how the ghost names were added to the payroll and whether any officials were complicit in the scheme.
As the probe unfolds, Ghanaians await further details on what could be one of the biggest payroll scandals in recent years.
