President John Dramani Mahama has directed the National Investigations Bureau (NIB) to launch an immediate investigation into the operations of the National Service Authority (NSA) following the shocking discovery of up to 81,885 suspected ghost names on the payroll under the previous government.
The revelation came after a headcount of active National Service personnel, initiated by the Ministry of Finance as a prerequisite for clearing long-standing allowance arrears dating back to August 2024. Upon completing this verification process, the Ministry released GHS 226,019,224 in payments for 98,145 legitimate service personnel—81,885 fewer than the 180,030 names originally submitted by the previous management.
This discrepancy suggests a significant payroll fraud scheme, prompting President Mahama to call for an urgent investigation. The NIB is expected to thoroughly examine the circumstances that led to the inclusion of these ghost names and identify those responsible for potential financial misconduct.
In addition to the probe, President Mahama has tasked the new leadership of the National Service Authority with implementing urgent reforms to prevent a recurrence of payroll fraud. These measures are aimed at strengthening internal controls and ensuring that financial resources are allocated only to legitimate service personnel.
Felix Kwakye Ofosu, the Spokesperson to the President and Minister for Government Communications, emphasized the government’s commitment to accountability and transparency. “This administration will not tolerate financial irregularities. Those found culpable will face the full force of the law,” he stated.
The unfolding investigation is expected to bring further insights into how ghost names infiltrated the system and how such fraudulent practices can be permanently eradicated from government institutions.
