81,885 Ghost Names on National Service Payroll, Mahama Orders Probe

Accra, Ghana - 12 Feb, 2025 - A staggering 81,885 fake personnel were discovered on the payroll of Ghana's National Service Authority, prompting President John Dramani Mahama to order an immediate investigation into the authority's operations.

The scandal came to light after a headcount of active National Service personnel revealed a significant discrepancy between the actual number of personnel and the figures presented by the authority's previous management. The headcount showed that 98,145 actual personnel were entitled to allowances, compared to the 180,030 names previously submitted for payment.

The Ministry of Finance has since released GHS 226,019,224 to settle the arrears of the verified personnel. However, the discovery of the ghost names has raised concerns about corruption and mismanagement within the authority.

President Mahama has directed the National Investigations Bureau (NIB) to conduct a thorough investigation into the matter, with a view to establishing the circumstances surrounding the inclusion of the ghost names and identifying those responsible.

The President has also instructed the new management of the National Service Authority to implement urgent reforms to prevent a recurrence of the phenomenon.

Felix Kwakye Ofosu, spokesperson to the President, confirmed the President's directive in a statement. 

“President Mahama has also tasked the new management of the Authority to carry out urgent reforms with the view to establishing adequate controls to prevent a recurrence of the phenomenon of ghost names,” portions of the statement read.

Read the Statement from the Presidency below.

Source: Lead News Online