Former Deputy Executive Director of the National Service Scheme (NSS), Gifty Oware-Mensah, returned to Ghana today but was not arrested at Kotoka International Airport as initially planned by the National Investigations Bureau (NIB).
Addressing the press shortly after her arrival, Minority Leader Alexander Afenyo-Markin stated that Oware-Mensah would voluntarily visit the NIB with her lawyers to respond to inquiries regarding the alleged scandal.
“Sometimes, this ‘Rambo-style’ approach doesn’t help. If you want to invite someone, you can do so. The person is a public official, so there should be no problem,” he remarked.
He further noted, “If the person arrives with a lawyer or states they do not need one and is willing to answer questions, necessary arrangements, including bail if required, can be made. That is what the law requires.”
The NIB is investigating allegations that thousands of ghost names were fraudulently added to the NSS payroll, costing the state millions of cedis in allowances.
According to government findings, a significant discrepancy in the National Service payroll was uncovered, revealing 81,885 suspected ghost names. This number represents the difference between the actual number of active personnel and the payroll data submitted by the previous management of the National Service Authority (NSA).
Recent reports indicate that there are currently 98,145 active service personnel, compared to the 180,030 names submitted for allowance payments in 2024—a staggering difference of 81,885.
“The figure is 81,885 less than the 180,030 names presented by the previous management of the Authority for allowance payment in 2024,” a government statement revealed.
The suspected fraudulent entries may have resulted in a significant misuse of public funds, with estimates suggesting the alleged payroll fraud cost the state GH₵50 million per month.
As the former Deputy Executive Director overseeing administration and finance at the NSS, Oware-Mensah is expected to be a key witness in the ongoing investigation.
The duration of the alleged scheme remains unclear.
Credit: Joy News.
