President Mahama Orders Probe Into 81,885 Ghost Names On National Service Payroll

President Mahama orders probe into ghost payroll fraud at National Service Authority

President John Dramani Mahama has ordered an immediate investigation into the National Service Authority following the discovery of 81,885 ghost names on the institution's payroll.

The fraud came to light during a mandatory headcount of active National Service personnel, initiated by the Minister of Finance as part of a process to clear outstanding allowance arrears dating back to August 2024. The audit revealed a stark discrepancy between the 180,030 names submitted by the previous management for allowance payments and the actual verified count of 98,145 service personnel.

The Ministry of Finance has subsequently released GHS 226,019,224 to cover allowance payment arrears for the legitimate service personnel identified through the verification process. This figure represents payments only to confirmed active service members, following the extensive audit.

In response to these findings, President Mahama has directed the National Investigations Bureau (NIB) to conduct a thorough investigation into the Authority's operations under the previous administration. Additionally, the President has mandated the new management to implement urgent reforms and establish robust controls to prevent future occurrences of such payroll manipulation.

The announcement was made through an official communication signed by Felix Kwakye Ofosu, MP, who serves as the Spokesperson to the President and Minister of Government Communications.