The National Service Authority (NSA) has successfully removed over 2,000 ghost names from its payroll, a move that is projected to save the government over GH¢1 million.
Felix Gyamfi, the NSA’s Director-General, explained that this cleanup effort is part of ongoing initiatives aimed at increasing transparency and combating fraud within the scheme.
He also revealed that the data of service personnel will now be shared with the Controller and Accountant General’s Department for cross-checking to avoid duplications and unauthorized entries.
Gyamfi issued a warning, stating, “If you’re already receiving a salary from another payroll, such as from the police, immigration, or military, and are just doing national service to fulfill the requirement, do not submit your allowance form this month.”
He emphasized that the NSA is collaborating with the National Investigations Bureau (NIB) and other security agencies to track down and arrest anyone attempting to defraud the system.
Earlier in April, Attorney General Dr. Dominic Ayine announced that former NSA directors involved in the ghost names scandal would face formal charges in early May 2025. This follows an order from President John Dramani Mahama to conduct a full investigation into the discovery of 81,885 suspected ghost names on the NSA payroll.
The issue was uncovered during a nationwide headcount of active service personnel, as reported by Felix Kwakye Ofosu, Presidential Spokesperson and Minister for Government Communications.
This audit, initiated by Finance Minister Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson, was part of a broader effort to reconcile and settle unpaid service allowances from August 2024.
The situation first came to light in a November 2024 investigative report by The Fourth Estate.
On March 20, the National Investigations Bureau (NIB) questioned the former NSA Executive Director, Osei Assibey Antwi, over his alleged role in the payroll fraud. He attended the interrogation with his lawyer after being invited for questioning.
