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President John Dramani Mahama has directed the National Investigations Bureau (NIB) to launch an immediate inquiry into the operations of the National Service Authority following the discovery of up to 81,885 suspected ghost names on its payroll.
The revelation came after a headcount of active National Service personnel was conducted at the request of the Minister for Finance as part of a process to clear outstanding allowance arrears dating back to August 2024.
According to an official statement from Presidency Communications, the Ministry of Finance has now completed the verification exercise and released GHS 226,019,224 to settle the allowances of 98,145 actual National Service personnel. This represents a significant reduction from the 180,030 names that were previously presented by the former management of the Authority for payment in 2024.
Call for Urgent Reforms
In response to the scandal, President Mahama has directed the new leadership of the National Service Authority to implement urgent reforms aimed at strengthening internal controls and preventing a recurrence of such fraudulent payroll practices.
The latest development raises serious concerns about financial mismanagement under the previous administration of the Authority, with investigations expected to uncover individuals responsible for inflating payroll numbers.
This revelation adds to Ghana’s ongoing efforts to tackle corruption in public institutions, as the government intensifies measures to ensure transparency and accountability in financial management.
Background on Ghost Names Scandals in Ghana
Ghana has battled ghost name syndicates across several public sector institutions over the years, with millions of cedis lost annually to fraudulent payroll schemes. The latest expose is expected to renew calls for stricter oversight and a comprehensive audit of government payroll systems.
Source:NKONKONSA.com
