The Ministry of Finance has released over GH₵ 226 million to cover allowance arrears for 98,145 actual National Service Personnel, following a head count.
This was indicated in a letter from the office of the Presidency dated February 12, 2025, signed by the spokesperson to the president, Felix Kwakye Ofosu, MP.
In the same release, President John Dramani Mahama ordered the National Investigations Bureau (NIB) to launch an immediate investigation into the alleged ghost names within the National Service Authority (NSA), specifically focusing on the period under the previous administration.
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According to the letter, this investigation is deemed necessary because, after the head count, there was a discovery of a staggering 81,885 suspected ghost names on the NSA’s payroll.
This measure (head count) was initiated by the Minister of Finance to clear allowance arrears dating back to August 2024.
“The ghost names were detected following a head count of active National Service personnel at the behest of the Minister for Finance as a prerequisite for the clearance of allowance arrears dating back to August 2024,” the official statement from the Presidency noted.
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In addition to the NIB investigation, President Mahama has tasked the new NSA management with implementing urgent reforms to establish robust controls and prevent any future recurrence of this type of fraudulent activity
“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,” the letter noted.
