News

NSS Scandal: Methuselahs And Toddlers Were Paid GH¢1.97 Million As Service Personnel – Audit Report

Published

9 months ago

September 1, 2025

The recent audit report into the “ghost names” scandal at the National Service Authority (NSA) makes damning revelations of how persons whose ages could not have made them national service personnel were registered and paid.

According to the report, exclusively seen by The Fourth Estate, personnel aged over 100 years, and some as old as 1027 years, were paid a total of GH¢ 115,037.24. Others between zero and 10 years were paid a total of GH¢ 889,977.77 through 1570 transactions. Cumulatively, persons aged between zero and 17 years were a total of GH¢1,313,114.29. While those aged between ages of 61 and 100 years were paid GH¢ 545,401.51

“Records showed negative ages, such as -3,968 years, enrolled and paid allowances,” the audit report revealed.

The table below presents the specifics of the age groups, number of transactions per age group, amount paid per age group and group summaries of total payment.

Age Range	No of Transactions	Amount paid	Group Sum
Less than 1 Yr	26	15,178.50	1,313,144.29
0 – 10 Yrs	1570	889,977.77
11 – 17 Yrs	778	407,988.02
61 – 70 Yrs	765	414,820.30
71 – 80 Yrs	194	103,399.90	660,438.75
81 – 90 Yrs	31	16,068.52
90 – 100 Yrs	28	11,112.79
Btn 100 & 1027 Yrs	215	115,037.24
TOTAL	3,607	1,973,583.04	1,973,583.04

Source: NSA Audit Report

These findings from the audit report confirm the details of The Fourth Estate’s investigations published some months ago, which reported that the NSA’s database was inflated with over-aged persons who had been registered and posted as service personnel.

For instance, the investigations revealed that 93-year-old Nimatu Salifu was listed as a UDS graduate. She deployed to Kpiyagi D/A Primary School in the Upper West Region in the 2022/2023 service year. In the same service year, 91-year-old Ruth Abdulai, supposedly a Development Studies graduate from UDS, was posted to Adakura Primary School in the Upper East Region.

Following the investigations, the then leadership of the NSA mounted a spirited defence against The Fourth Estate’s findings.

For example, the authority issued a statement on December 16, 2024, debunking the allegations of ghost names in the NSA database. The statement said, among other things:

“Following the series of publications with bizarre allegations against the Authority, the Management of the Authority conducted a quick review of the system and found all the allegations to be untrue.”

A former Deputy Executive Director of the NSA, who served between February 2017 and September 2018, Henry Nana Boakye, moved from one media house to another, accusing The Fourth Estate of having done a “shoddy work” and “lazy journalism”. This, according to him, was because, contrary to the claims by The Fourth Estate, the NSA system was capable of preventing the claims of ghost names as revealed by the publication.

Background

The Fourth Estate’s exposé on the NSS Scandal, published earlier this year, revealed the padding of ghost names in the NSA database and manipulation of posting processes, which caused the government to pay millions of cedis to service personnel that only existed on paper. Beyond revealing the existence of ghost names in the NSA database, the publication raised critical questions about value-for-money, data security, and institutional integrity of the CSMP/Metric App.

The findings from The Fourth Estate’s investigations prompted the Office of the Attorney General and Minister of Justice to conduct their own investigations, which revealed that the top-level executives of the NSA and their private sector vendors, in a scheme, had mismanaged over 548 million Ghana cedis through Ghost names. The investigation prompted public demand for probity and accountability.

In response, the Office of the President, through the Ministry of Youth and Empowerment, directed an immediate suspension of the CMSP/Metric App to allow for a comprehensive technical and forensic review.

myjoyonline.com

Energy

See The Areas That Will Be Affected By Power Outages On June 4

Published

1 day ago

June 4, 2026

AladdynKing

The Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) has announced multiple power outages for Thursday, June 4, 2026, affecting communities in the Tema, Eastern, Central, and Western Regions, with a combination of planned and emergency maintenance exercises scheduled across the country.

In the Tema Area, a planned maintenance exercise will take place from 10:00 am to 4:00pm. The affected areas include the Sea Water Desalination Plant, Maranatha, Buade, Glow Lamp, Frimpongmaa Estates, Abrantie, Dan Adams, Coastal Estates, Basket, GCB Training School, Ataa Adama, Royal Ravico, Junction Mall, Regimanuel Estates, Parakuo Estates, Queensland International School, Kpoo Keke, Best Western Premier Hotel, Leisure Hours Hotel, and extensive parts of Nungua including Zongo, Township, Traditional Council, Polyclinic and Secondary School. Also affected are the Kpeshie Divisional Police Headquarters, Coco Beach, Main 1, Father’s Hotel, C5 and surrounding areas. The notice was originally issued on Monday, June 1.

In the Eastern Region, a planned maintenance exercise will run from 8:00am to 5:00pm, affecting Sekesua, Anyamoni, Oterkpolu, Bukonor, Asesewa, Akateng and surrounding areas. This notice was originally issued on Tuesday, 2nd June.

The Central Region will experience a planned outage from 9:00am to 3:30pm, affecting Brimso Headworks, Akaikrom, Police Barrier, Ankaful Junction, Mpeasem, WAEC, Yayaaikawa, Wanyiwato, part of Dominase, Duakyimase and surrounding areas.

In the Western Region, ECG will undertake two separate exercises. The first is an emergency maintenance from 10:00am to 2:00pm, affecting Dixcove, Busua, Cape 3, Agona Damtsi, GREL and surrounding areas. The second is another emergency maintenance from 9:00am to 4:00pm, affecting Akoon, UEE, parts of Market Circle, Railway Quarters, Apinto Hospital, Cyanide, Kwabedu, Alhaji Dauda, New Atuabo, Budo City, Banso, Esuosu and surrounding areas.

ECG has expressed regret for the inconvenience that will arise from all these exercises. The company has advised affected customers to make alternative arrangements for power-dependent activities during the specified hours.

All notices were originally issued between Monday, June 1 and Wednesday, June 3, 2026. ECG assured that power supply would be restored to all affected areas upon completion of the scheduled maintenance works. Customers have been encouraged to contact ECG’s official communication channels for further updates.

graphic.com.gh

General News

Today’s Newspaper Headlines: Thursday, 4th June, 2026

Published

1 day ago

June 4, 2026

AladdynKing

General News

Assin Edubiase: School Bus ‘Plunges’ Into River, Two Pupils Killed

Published

2 days ago

June 3, 2026

AladdynKing

Tragedy struck when a school bus transporting more than 40 pupils of a preparatory school at Assin Edubiase in the Assin South District of the Central Region veered off the road and plunged into a river.

It resulted in the death of two kindergarten pupils of the Alice Elites Academy.

The deceased, a three-year-old and a five-year-old, were among pupils who were in the Mercedes-Benz Sprinter bus with registration number AS 2218-20.

The accident occurred on the Assin Kwafokrom-Homaho stretch on Monday [June 1, 2026].

Graphic Online understands that the driver reportedly lost control of the vehicle, it veered off the road, and plunged into the river.

Dozens of pupils got injured.

ASP Wonder Lumor from the Motor Traffic and Transport Department (MTTD) of the Central North Regional Police Command told Graphic Online that the 40 injured pupils were transported to health facilities for emergency medical care.

According to him, 22 of the victims were taken to the St. Francis Xavier Hospital, while the 18 others received treatment at the Assin Edubiase Health Centre.

ASP Lumor explained that all the injured pupils responded positively to treatment and were later discharged.

graphic.com.gh