Former officials of the National Service Authority (NSA) have strongly denied allegations of financial mismanagement and payroll irregularities made in a recent investigative report by The Fourth Estate.
In a press statement, former Director-General Osei Assibey Antwi and former Executive Director Hon. Mustapha Ussif dismissed the claims as misleading, citing a misrepresentation of NSA’s enrolment, verification, and payment processes.
According to the statement, The Fourth Estate’s report inaccurately compared budgetary figures submitted to Parliament with publicly available data, failing to account for additional enrolments from Nursing and Teacher Trainee cohorts.
The former NSA officials explained that these supplementary enrolments conducted in collaboration with the Nursing and Midwifery Council and the Teachers Council account for the discrepancies noted in the report.
Ghost Names Allegations Rejected
The publication also alleged that the NSA’s payroll was padded with “ghost names” because allocated funds exceeded verified postings. However, the former officials clarified that while Parliament approves budgets based on the total number of posted personnel, not all enrollees make it onto the payroll. Factors such as verification failures and personnel opting out of the program naturally reduce the number of actual payments made.
They emphasized that payments are processed through the Ghana Interbank Payment and Settlement Systems (GhIPSS), a subsidiary of the Bank of Ghana, and are subject to monthly validations to confirm personnel presence at their assigned service locations. Any unused funds remain in the NSA’s accounts for subsequent use, contradicting claims that funds are being misappropriated.
Claims of Foreign Nationals and Fraudulent IDs Addressed
The statement further dismissed accusations that the NSA system is compromised by overaged individuals, foreign nationals, and fake IDs. The officials explained that while enrolment data initially comes from educational institutions and private applicants, errors are typically detected and corrected during a rigorous verification process, which includes ID checks, facial biometrics, and fingerprint authentication.
Individuals who fail verification are categorized as “banned,” “on hold,” or “pending,” making them ineligible for payroll inclusion. The officials suggested that The Fourth Estate may have wrongly based its report on unverified entry data rather than actual payroll records.
Call for Responsible Journalism
The former NSA leadership accused The Fourth Estate of conducting a rushed and sensationalized investigation without verifying payment records with GhIPSS. They urged journalists to uphold professional integrity and avoid misleading the public with incomplete or misinterpreted information.
In response to the controversy, they welcomed President John Mahama’s directive for a formal investigation, expressing confidence that a thorough probe would expose inaccuracies in the report and vindicate their administration.
The NSA has, in recent years, introduced measures such as a centralized online portal and unique institutional access codes to enhance enrolment transparency and prevent system manipulation.
The former officials concluded their statement by urging the public to disregard The Fourth Estate’s publication, which they claim unfairly maligns past NSA leadership.
Below is the full statement :
Source: www.kumasimail.com
