The National Service Authority(NSA) has uncovered a major payroll fraud involving the District Manager and MIS Manager in the Birim North District of Ghana’s Eastern Region. Acting on information from a whistleblower, NSA management confronted the two officials with compelling evidence of their involvement in processing fraudulent monthly allowances. Both have admitted to their roles and have been interdicted pending further investigations.
Initial investigations revealed that the managers approved payments for at least 29 individuals during the 2024/2025 service year and 49 individuals in the 2023/2024 service year who were either on “Study Leave with Pay” or already employed full-time, yet were falsely recorded as regular National Service Personnel. This fraudulent practice is part of a wider, long-standing payroll scam affecting the NSA nationwide.
The NSA explained that individuals on study leave or those already employed are not entitled to monthly service allowances, as they receive salaries from their primary employers. However, some of these individuals colluded with NSA officials to alter their status and illegally receive double payments, violating the Public Services Commission Act, 1994 (Act 482).
In a statement, NSA management said: “We have zero tolerance for fraud and misconduct. Any NSA staff found guilty will face dismissal, and public servants involved will be terminated from their primary jobs, prosecuted, and permanently barred from future public service.”
To combat this, the NSA is implementing stricter verification processes, including cross-checking enrolment records with the Controller and Accountant-General’s Department to detect and eliminate fake identities and double payments.
The NSA has directed all implicated individuals-estimated to be in the thousands nationwide-to immediately stop submitting allowance claims and report to NSA Regional Offices by May 23, 2025, to regularize their status. Failure to comply will result in public naming and legal prosecution.
The Director-General of NSA emphasized: “Our enhanced systems will expose all offenders, regardless of when the fraud occurred. Anyone attempting to defraud the system will be held fully accountable.”
Source: GBC