The ghost names scandal at Ghana’s National Service Authority (NSA) has stolen more than just public funds. It has robbed the youth of their future. This is not simply another story of corruption but a deep betrayal that exposes a broken system. The fraud is a painful reminder that the nation’s most vulnerable are often the first to suffer from institutional greed.
A History of Broken Trust
The National Service Scheme (NSS) was established in 1973 with a simple purpose: to prepare graduates for the workforce. For years, the system was paper-based, making it a breeding ground for fraud. Fictitious names were easily added to payrolls, and the term “ghost names” has haunted public institutions for decades. However, the sheer scale of the recent scandal is staggering, highlighting years of weak controls and chronic lack of accountability.
The 2025 Investigation: A New Government’s First Move
The government’s response was decisive. In February 2025, President John Dramani Mahama ordered the National Investigations Bureau (NIB) to conduct an immediate investigation into the NSA. The ghost names were uncovered following a headcount of active National Service personnel, conducted at the request of the Minister for Finance as a prerequisite for clearing allowance arrears dating back to August 2024.
While the previous management had presented a payroll of 180,030 names, only 98,145 active service personnel were validated. The President’s office revealed that the difference—81,885 ghost names—represented a potential loss of GH₵50 million in a single month. President Mahama directed that “all persons who are found to have been complicit in the malfeasance shall be dealt with in accordance with the law.” This swift order became the catalyst for a full-scale investigation, with forensic evidence and media reports continuing to emerge in the months that followed.
The Digital Ruse: A New Chapter of Deception
While earlier scandals revealed the weaknesses of paper-based systems, recent findings show that digitisation became a new frontier for sophisticated fraud. Fake identities—including those of non-existent individuals and even 90-year-old “graduates”—were added to payrolls. A recent audit shockingly revealed that more than 1,000 babies, some under one year old, had been listed on the payroll, draining resources meant for genuine service personnel.
The Ministry of Youth Development and Empowerment suspended the NSA’s Central Management System (CMS) over integrity concerns, stalling postings. An NSA official admitted: “If the system were foolproof, we wouldn’t have had children under one year, without a Ghana Card, being on our payroll.” The official also noted that about 3,000 people over the age of 80 were receiving allowances despite the official exit age being 40.
Investigative journalists from The Fourth Estate reported thousands of fake student index numbers linked to non-existent students, manipulated biometric data, and doctored ID cards. In one bizarre case, the photo of a Kenyan human resources manager was used to register a fake service person. The scandal demonstrated that technology had been used as a cover for a brazen scam.
Amid these revelations, Acting Executive Director Ruth Seddoh pledged that postings, delayed by integrity checks, would be released by 1 November 2025. She assured that a new, reliable framework was being implemented to prevent future payroll fraud.
The 2014 Audit: Exposing the Paper-Based Scam
Ghanaians first heard the term “ghost names” in 2014 when GH¢7.9 million was reported to have been paid to 22,612 non-existent service personnel in a single month. Public outrage forced the dismissal of 163 staff, including the executive director, regional directors, and dozens of district managers.
Investigations by the then Bureau of National Investigations (BNI) revealed that ghost names had been generated at the NSS headquarters, resulting in losses of GH¢86.9 million between September 2013 and July 2014. Prosecutors said the then Executive Director, Alhaji Alhassan Mohammed Imoro, orchestrated the fraud by instructing that fictitious names be added to payment vouchers. The money was withdrawn and channelled back to him through regional directors.
Imoro was eventually convicted and sentenced to six years in prison, with one co-conspirator receiving four years. The case was seen as a landmark test of the government’s resolve to fight corruption.
A Generational Impact and Crisis of Trust
The real victims of these scandals are Ghana’s youth. Funds meant for their allowances were stolen, leading to delays and poor-quality service postings. “We spend our transport fares to go to work and sometimes borrow to be able to go. Meanwhile, the allowance that is due us is not being paid. It is a serious problem,” one frustrated service person lamented.
National service is supposed to be a vital step into the professional world, yet it has instead become a source of despair. Analysts warn that corruption has eroded public confidence in government institutions and cast a shadow over Ghana’s future.
Restoring Trust: A Blueprint for Reform
The ghost names scandal is part of a wider pattern across Ghana’s public sector, from the NSS to SSNIT and other payroll systems. The recurrence of such fraud reflects a culture of impunity and weak political will.
To move forward, Ghana must go beyond rhetoric. The Ghana Card provides a foundation for a secure, biometric database that should be fully integrated into the NSS. Payrolls must be transparent, independently audited, and open to public scrutiny. Swift prosecution and meaningful punishment of culprits are necessary deterrents.
Ultimately, technology alone is not enough. Ethical leadership, political will, and accountability are essential if Ghana is to restore trust in national service and safeguard the future of its youth.
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