President John Dramani Mahama has directed the National Investigations Bureau (NIB) to launch an immediate probe into the National Service Authority (NSA) following the revelation of 81,885 suspected ghost names on its payroll.
The discrepancies were uncovered after a headcount of active National Service personnel was conducted by the Ministry of Finance as part of efforts to clear allowance arrears dating back to August 2024.
The findings showed that the NSA had listed 180,030 names for allowance payments in 2024, but the actual number of active personnel was far lower, with only 98,145 qualifying for the payments.
As a result, the Ministry of Finance released GHS226,019,224 to cover arrears for the 98,145 legitimate National Service personnel.
In a statement issued on February 12, the presidency confirmed the discrepancies and outlined President Mahama’s decision to hold the NSA accountable.
The president has instructed the newly appointed management of the NSA to implement urgent reforms to improve oversight and prevent similar issues in the future.
The investigation into the ghost names scandal follows an exposé by The Fourth Estate, which raised concerns about the integrity of the NSA’s payroll system.
