Following investigation on payroll theft by the National Intelligence Bureau (NIB), at least four National Service Scheme (NSS) staff members were interdicted.
TV3’s Ghana Tonight programme asked NSS acting director general Felix Gyamfi on the interditions on June 13.
He clarified that NIB data exposed program staff violations triggering disciplinary actions.
I acted when the NIB brought up names. Four persons were interdicted, Mr. Gyamfi said. “I have also acted regarding the extra names brought in yesterday.”
As the Scheme battles payroll fraud and rebuilds public confidence, he said investigations are continuous and more revelations are expected.
Mr. Gyamfi responded after Attorney-General and Justice Minister Dr. Dominic Ayine mentioned the NSS payroll scandal as a part of a larger “criminal enterprise” costing Ghana over GH¢548 million.
At a news conference in Accra on June 13, Dr. Ayine reported the money loss discovered by the government’s Operation Recover All Loot (ORAL) program. Top NSS officials, payroll officials, and district directors he mentioned oversaw the conspiracy.
In the 2022–2023 service year the state lost GH¢350,926,977.12. GH¢32,891,157.07 was the service year loss for 2023–2024. Dr. Ayine figures that the state lost GH¢548,333,542.65 overall from this illicit business.
We found over GH¢550,000.
Working full-time under the internal recovery operations of the program, Mr. Gyamfi claimed recovering about GH¢550,000 from people who fraudulently claimed national service allowances.
These employees worked for different companies, yet they still received national service allowances. That is not relevant anymore, he said. “We have recovered thus far over GH¢550,000; some have started paying back the money on their own initiative.”
He pointed out that the recovery process is under progress and that more offenders are expected to return illicit money.
Structures changes, ghost names
The NSS has started a big clean-up to stop payroll fraud. Mr. Gyamfi says he erased almost 2,000 phantom names last month in order to encourage responsibility.
He clarified that although the NSS app has been blamed for payroll anomalies, actual misuse is the real problem.
The abusers are the problem; the tools and systems are not the problem. If you remove names without Ghana Cards “said,” the system is not broken.
To show improved identification verification, he also mentioned that over 5,000 people without Ghana Card credentials had been taken off the NSS database. Not one among these has complained.
Staff audits and awareness of change
Mr. Gyamfi also mentioned that more staff misbehaviour revealed by a recent internal audit led to redeployments and more research.
Our results led us to reinterpretation of people. He said we responded fast when warning signs started to show. “Any possible compromise now seriously jeopardises our system.”
The NSS implements a thorough, phased reform plan in all 270 district offices to guarantee long-term compliance and enhance internal controls.
Responding to the GH30 million debt issue involving former NSS Deputy Executive Director Gifty Oware-Mensah, Mr Gyamfi said the NSS would not comment on the financial obligations of the scheme until it has completed a Ghana Audit Service audit.
Years of requests for book audits have gone underlined We are working with the audit service to start that delayed operation. He promised public announcement of the findings.
Mrs. Oware-Mensah was accused by the Attorney General of planning a fraud whereby a financial institution credit facility used national service allowances as collateral.
rebuilding confidence
Mr. Gyamfi underlined again the dedication of the NSS leadership to program credibility and openness.
We do this on purpose. One cannot perform national service without a Ghana Card. “These new rules are here to stay,” he said.
Widespread calls for public institution reforms in Ghana, including structural changes and strong penalties, have been generated by the NSS crisis.
