NSS Scandal: Audit Reveals Former D-G Osei Assibey Pocketed GH¢8.2m While Listed as Volunteer

A forensic audit of the National Service Authority (NSA) has uncovered a startling revelation: former Director-General, Osei Assibey Antwi, was allegedly posted as a volunteer under the scheme while still serving as head of the institution, receiving a staggering GH¢8.2 million in allowances.

According to the audit report, sighted by The Fourth Estate, Mr. Assibey Antwi—who assumed office as Director-General in 2021—was in the 2022/2023 service year registered as a volunteer and assigned an EZWICH card (1177042059). Records showed he was officially posted to the Greater Accra Region, but payroll entries indicated his posting to Kumawu Farms, a 200-acre agricultural project launched by his administration in the Ashanti Region.

Auditors found that Mr. Assibey was paid GH¢516,000 every month for 16 months, amounting to GH¢8,256,000. At the current service allowance rate of GH¢715.57, this amount could have covered stipends for 721 national service personnel for the same period.

The findings confirm earlier disclosures by the Attorney-General and Minister of Justice, Dr. Dominic Ayine, who revealed on June 13 that the suspect personally received the funds through the EZWICH account, which investigators later retrieved from his residence during a search.

“In the 2022/2023 service year, a total of GH¢8,256,000.00 was deposited into EZWICH account number 1177042059, registered in the name of suspect Osei Assibey. Investigations showed that he personally received these funds,” Dr. Ayine stated.

Background

In November 2024, The Fourth Estate concluded a months-long investigation into alleged financial malpractices at the NSA, exposing the existence of thousands of ghost names on its payroll. The report suggested that the scheme was draining millions of cedis from the state.

However, before publication, the NSA secured a court injunction in an attempt to block the exposé. Following petitions by the Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA) and civil society, the case was taken up by the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) and the newly established Operation Recover All Loot (ORAL).

On June 13, 2025, the Attorney-General announced that several former NSA executives and associates would be prosecuted for fraudulent practices that cost Ghana over GH¢548 million. Dr. Ayine credited The Fourth Estate for laying the foundation of the investigations.

“The now-famous National Service scandal, which was first uncovered by The Fourth Estate through its investigative journalism, formed a major plank of the ORAL report. My office is extremely grateful for the excellent foundational work they did,” he said.