The Minister for Youth Development and Empowerment, George Opare Addo, has officially announced the suspension of the Central Management System used for the posting of National Service personnel by the National Service Authority (NSA).
The announcement was made during the Government Accountability series.
According to Minister Opare Addo, the suspension comes in direct response to a directive from the Presidency, which has ordered a comprehensive and forensic audit of the system by the Ghana Audit Service.
This decisive action follows alarming revelations that the system was compromised to facilitate financial fraud linked to the notorious “ghost names” scandal that has long plagued the Authority.
“The Ministry hereby announces the suspension of the Central Management System used for posting by the National Service Authority,” Opare Addo stated.
“This suspension has become necessary following revelations that the system has been used to perpetrate serious financial fraud that is the ghost names scandal that has been hunting the authority for some time now,” he added.
The Minister further disclosed that the National Security apparatus is actively investigating the case, with the Attorney General’s office meticulously reviewing the relevant dockets to determine further legal action.
“The National Security is currently investigating the matter whiles the Attorney General is also reviewing the dockets for further actions,” he indicated.
In addressing the future of the posting process, Opare Addo said plans are underway to introduce a new, advanced system.
He asserted “Plans are currently underway to deploy a new comprehensive system that will meet all the technical specifications and ensure the integrity of the system.”
Minister Opare Addo pledged to the nation that, under the leadership of John Dramani Mahama, such fraudulent activities would be eradicated.
“His Excellency pledge to the good people of this country is that under his watch we will have no ghost names at the National service authority,” Opare Addo emphasized.
The “ghost names” scandal at National Service Authority (NSA) involves the inclusion of thousands of fictitious names on the payroll, resulting in massive financial fraud.
Investigations uncovered that top officials at the NSA inflated personnel numbers by adding non-existent service personnel, siphoning public funds allocated for monthly allowances.
A comprehensive audit from 2018 to 2024 revealed over 81,000 ghost names on the payroll, causing losses estimated at more than 548 million Ghanaian cedis (about $53 million).
The scheme involved senior executives and private-sector accomplices who used ghost names and fake vendors to divert funds into private accounts.
The government has launched investigations involving the National Security and Attorney General’s offices, and there are ongoing efforts to reform and implement more secure systems to prevent such fraud in the future
Source: www.Kumasimail/Kwadwo Owusu
