The Acting Director-General of the National Service Authority (NSA), Felix Gyamfi, has announced sweeping reforms aimed at rooting out ghost names from the Authority’s payroll.
Effective immediately, graduates will not be allowed to undertake national service without a valid Ghana Card and proof of graduation from a Ghana Tertiary Education Commission (GTEC)-accredited institution.
“This is not just another policy adjustment—it’s a decisive move to end systemic fraud within the National Service Scheme, if you don’t have a Ghana Card, you are not allowed to do national service. It’s our highest form of identity verification, and it will keep out individuals with questionable backgrounds,” Mr. Gyamfi said.
The reforms come in the wake of President John Mahama’s directive on February 12, 2025, instructing the National Investigations Bureau (NIB) to probe operations at the NSA.
This followed the Finance Ministry’s discovery of 81,885 suspected ghost names on the service payroll during a headcount meant to clear outstanding allowance arrears dating back to August 2024.
Mr. Gyamfi also emphasized that only graduates from fully accredited institutions will qualify for service.
“If your school isn’t recognised by GTEC, you have no business doing national service,” he said, describing such institutions as “of questionable character.”
He noted that while many of these safeguards previously existed, they were poorly enforced due to weak leadership and a lack of political will. The NSA, under his leadership, is now focused on rigorous enforcement.
Among the new control measures are:
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Mandatory biometric validation: All service personnel must physically report to NSA offices monthly for biometric verification before allowances are processed.
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Strict compliance with age and registration requirements: Any graduate who exceeds the age limit or bypasses the formal registration process will be disqualified automatically.
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Live verification protocols: No personnel will be added to the payroll unless physically verified and validated by designated NSA officers.
These measures, Mr. Gyamfi insists, are essential to restoring credibility to the National Service Scheme and ensuring that public funds serve only those who are truly eligible.