Investigative journalist Kwaku Krobea Asante of The Fourth Estate has named the persons in charge of the National Service Authority (NSA) when the phantom names issue started under former President Akufo-Addo.
The Fourth Estate’s November 2024 investigative report is the source of the disclosures.
Asante identified Henry Nana Boakye, Osei Assibey Antwi, Mustapha Ussif, Gifty Oware, and Kwaku Ohene Djan as the NSA officials in control at the time of the fraudulent payments in an interview with Bernard Avle on Channel One TV’s The Point of View.
He did, however, clarify that the report emphasizes their role in monitoring the scheme at the time of the irregularities rather than accusing these former NSA personnel of misappropriation.
“The period that we focused our investigations on, you have Henry Nana Boakye – Nana B, you have Hon. Mustapha Ussif, the former Sports Minister, the immediate past Director General, Osei Assibey Antwi, Gifty Oware Mensah, who was also a deputy director, then you have one gentleman called Kwaku Ohene Djan, who was also a deputy director for the NSA.
“Our point is not necessarily to say that these are people have stolen money, so to say, but our point is that these were people who were in charge of the scheme.”
Following President John Dramani Mahama’s order to look into 81,885 potential ghost names discovered on the NSA payroll, Mr. Asante made his declaration.
“These irregularities were discovered during a headcount of active national service personnel,” said Felix Kwakye Ofosu, Minister of Government Communications and Presidential Spokesperson.
In an attempt to settle unpaid allowance arrears that date back to August 2024, Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson, the Minister of Finance, requested that the audit be started.
