The National Investigations Bureau (NIB) has intensified its probe into the ghost names scandal that allegedly occurred under the previous management of the National Service Scheme (NSS). As part of the investigation, Osei Assibey Antwi, the former Executive Director of the National Service Authority (NSA), was recently questioned.
He follows Gifty Oware-Mensah, the former Deputy Director in charge of Finance and Administration, who was taken into custody for interrogation upon her return from abroad. Prior to her questioning, Kwaku Ohene Djan, another former Deputy Executive Director of the NSA, was also detained and interrogated by the NIB.
Sources indicate that Mr. Osei Assibey was invited to appear before the NIB on Thursday, March 20, and arrived with his lawyer. Reports suggest he spent several hours answering questions regarding the alleged fraudulent hiring of fictitious employees by the NSA. However, it remains unclear whether he was released immediately after the interrogation.
The investigation follows an exposé by The Fourth Estate, which uncovered numerous irregularities within the scheme. The NIB is looking into allegations that the state was defrauded of millions of cedis through thousands of fake names on the National Service payroll.
Government officials revealed that an audit uncovered 81,885 suspected ghost names, representing a major discrepancy between the payroll figures submitted by the NSA’s previous management and the actual number of active employees.
Compared to the 180,030 names presented for allowance payments in 2024, current data shows that only 98,145 service personnel are actively working.
“This figure is 81,885 less than the 180,030 names presented by the previous management of the Authority for allowance payment in 2024,” a government statement explained.
The suspected fraudulent names could account for a significant misappropriation of public funds, with the state reportedly losing GH₵50 million every month due to the alleged payroll fraud. The total duration of the scheme, however, remains unknown.
By Najat Adamu
