NSS Ghost Names Scandal: NIB Finally Releases Former NSA Deputy Director Kwaku Ohene Djan
- The National Investigations Bureau has released the former Deputy Director of the National Service Authority
- Kwaku Ohene Djan was being detained over alleged corruption in the payroll at the National Service Authority
- A recent headcount of National Service Scheme beneficiaries has shown 81,885 ghost names on the payroll
The National Investigations Bureau (NIB) has released the former Deputy Executive Director of the National Service Authority after his detention over his alleged involvement in the ghost names scandal.
Kwaku Ohene Djan had been in custody for several days as investigators sought to unravel his alleged role in the reported financial mismanagement and misconduct at the National Service Authority.
Source: Facebook
According to Citi News, his detention was part of a broader probe aimed at uncovering irregularities within the authority that have raised public concern in recent months.
A recent headcount of National Service Scheme beneficiaries showed 81,885 ghost names on the payroll. This prompted President John Mahama to order the National Investigations Bureau to probe the National Service Authority.
According to the presidency, the scope of the investigations is to cover the period under the previous government.
“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."
These findings came after The Fourth Estate’s investigation, which found thousands of names assigned fake student index numbers supposedly linked to public universities and colleges of education.
The report noted one Abubakar Fuseni was listed in the NSS database as a graduate of the University for Development Studies in the 2022/2023 service year.
His index number, 591GHA-725913201-2, was flagged by University for Development Studies officials as fake.
Source: Facebook
It also noted that the 2022/2023 NSS list contained 226 other individuals named 'Abubakar Fuseni', all supposedly from the University for Development Studies and all with identical degree qualifications.
On the NSS posting list for the 2022/2023 service year, 2,338 names with index numbers similar to Abubakar’s that are inconsistent with what the University officially issues can be found.
The National Service Authority previously refuted the allegations of ghost names and payroll fraud in a statement.
Other detentions by National Investigations Bureau
The former Public Procurement Authority Board Chairman, Professor Ameyaw Akumfi was detained by the National Investigative Bureau.
The detention was linked to an ongoing probe into financial dealings which transpired during his tenure as Board Chairman of the Ghana Infrastructure Investment Fund (GIIF).
Former Minister for Railway Development Joe Ghartey was also invited by the National Intelligence Bureau over the Ghana Sky Train project. The project was announced in 2018 as an infrastructure plan to ease mobility in Accra.
Under Ghartey, Ghana signed a concession agreement with Africa Investment (Ai) Sky Train Consortium in 2019, with an estimated cost of $3 billion. However, the project never took off, and concerns were raised about its feasibility and financing.
In 2022, the Ghana Infrastructure Investment Fund disclosed that it had invested $2 million in the project.
Ghana drops again on Corruption Perception Index
YEN.com.gh also previously reported that Ghana dropped on the Global Corruption Perception Index from its score in 2024.
Ghana ranked 80th out of 180 countries and territories assessed in the latest report released by Transparency International.
The Ghana Integrity Initiative noted that the lower score signalled a setback in the country’s anti-corruption efforts thus far.
Since 2015, Ghana has experienced a gradual decline in its score on the corruption index, dropping five points over a decade.
Proofread by Bruce Douglas, senior copy editor at YEN.com.gh
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Source: YEN.com.gh
