Ex-NSA officials reject ghost names accusation

Two former Executive Directors of the National Service Authority (NSA) have strongly refuted allegations made by the Fourth Estate that its payroll is padded with “ghosts.”
According to NSA officials, the media outlet’s claim that the figures submitted to Parliament for budgetary purposes significantly differ from those available to the public is misleading.
Mustapha Ussif and Osei Assibey-Antwi former Director-Generals of the National Service Authority in a statement argued that The Fourth Estate’s investigation relied solely on figures from the general posting cycle in September, neglecting additional enrolment cycles run in partnership with the Nursing and Midwifery Council for nurses and with the Teachers Council for teacher trainees.
A joint statement issued by the two former officials said these additional cohorts account for shortfalls in the reported figures. The Officials argued that had the Fourth Estate exercised due diligence, they would have discovered that the supposed disparity is simply a reflection of these separate enrolment processes.

Stringent verification
Ussif and Assibey-Antwi explained that the personnel list submitted for budgetary purposes is based on the total number of individuals posted by the Authority.
However, they said not all posted personnel are ultimately placed on the payroll saying this is because only those who pass stringent verification processes are activated for payment through the GhiPPS System—a Bank of Ghana subsidiary.
Ussif and Assibey-Antwi noted that monthly validations ensure that only personnel who are confirmed to be at their respective postings receive their allowances and any surplus funds left after payments remain in the Authority’s account for future use.
As a result, Ussif and Assibey-Antwi stated that the allegation that an excess of funds indicates “ghosts” drawing pay is unfounded.
The two former officials maintained that if an individual fails the verification process—due to inconsistencies in identification data or absence at the post—they are categorised as banned, on hold, or pending, and do not receive any payment.

Debunking claims of over aged and fraudulent entries
The Fourth Estate further claimed that the NSA system is riddled with overaged individuals, foreign pictures, and incorrect IDs, alleging that such errors indicate the presence of “ghosts” on the payroll.
In response Ussif and Assibey-Antwi said officials countered this claim by explaining that initial enrolment data is submitted by educational institutions and private individuals without any input from the Authority, which naturally can contain errors.
According to them, these data are rigorously cross-referenced during a mandatory regional verification process, where personnel provide identification cards, facial biometrics, and fingerprint data.
They stated that any inconsistencies result in the individual being classified as banned or pending, rendering them ineligible for payroll processing.
Ussif and Assibey-Antwi asserted that the allegations about placeholder images and foreign IDs fall within this category of fraudulent attempts to circumvent the system.
They further questioned how a reputable media outlet could base its sensational story on entry data without verifying the actual numbers from GhiPPS, the paying entity.

Robust systems
In defending its procedures, the two former officials highlighted the robust enrolment and verification mechanisms implemented over the years.
They said one of the most significant improvements is the development of a common portal that generates unique access codes for institutions to submit their enrolment data, effectively reducing the risk of manipulation at the entry point.
Ussif and Assibey-Antwi criticized the Fourth Estate for misapprehending this data and drawing erroneous conclusions that misinform the public.
Awaiting an official investigation
The two officials welcomed the directive by President Mahama for an independent investigation, expressing confidence that the probe would reveal the true state of affairs and disprove the contrived allegations made by the Fourth Estate