NSA boss defends majority of staff in ghost names scandal
By: Ernest Afram
The Executive Director of the National Service Authority (NSA), Felix Gyamfi, has defended the majority of National Service Scheme (NSS) staff across the country, stating that it is unfair to assume all personnel were complicit in the payroll fraud that has rocked the institution.
In a media interview, Mr. Gyamfi dismissed suggestions that wrongdoing was widespread at all levels of the organization, insisting the fraud was orchestrated by a few individuals at the top. He acknowledged that while some may have engaged in other forms of misconduct, most had no involvement in the payroll infractions that led to the ghost name scandal.
“There wasn’t such a system in place where everybody at National Service was doing something wrong. It was at the top. I was a district manager, a municipal manager, and I didn’t know about it. People in certain regions didn’t know about it. They might have been involved in other things, but not in payroll fraud. So, to say that everyone who was working somewhere was involved, I’m not ready to play that hand. It would be unfair to them, because many probably didn’t know anything about it,” he said.
The NSA Executive Director expressed concern about the growing public perception that links the entire institution to fraud, noting that even casual mentions of National Service now draw jokes about ghost names. “I take it as a joke, but it’s unfair, because so many people did not benefit at all from this operation,” he stated.
In response to the scandal, Mr. Gyamfi has introduced major institutional reforms aimed at rebuilding the NSA’s credibility and establishing a system of checks and balances. He revealed that previously, there was poor coordination among departments, with units such as Deployment, Planning, Policy, Monitoring and Evaluation (PPME), and Accounts operating in silos.
“One thing I found at the head office and found quite shocking, was that Deployment didn’t know what PPME was doing. PPME didn’t know what Accounts was doing. Now, I bring everybody to the table, and we make approvals together. Everybody has to know, because that’s how the organization was set up. That’s why there’s an Audit Unit, there’s Accounts, there’s PPME, there’s Deployment, and there’s MIS. Everybody must know,” he said.
He added that the new system ensures complete transparency, with every department now required to collaborate and share information openly. “There’s no way you, in your own corner, would approve something without everybody knowing,” he emphasized.
Mr. Gyamfi also highlighted a cultural shift in accountability and urgency. Citing a recent example, he said that in the past, it was common for some units to delay essential data for weeks. “You ask Deployment how many people we’re posting from the University of Ghana, and he tells you, ‘Wait’ and keeps saying that for a month. Now, if that is brought to me, within a minute, the action will be taken,” he noted.
On the issue of staff implicated in questionable operations, Mr. Gyamfi said his leadership approach does not favor mass punishment. Instead, he is addressing sensitive cases through private, humane discussions. “There are people I’ve asked, based on the nature of their role and the sort of things that happened, that it’s not possible they didn’t know. So, I give them an option: either move, or we transfer you to a place of your choice,” he said.
He emphasized that such decisions are taken only after careful assessment, reiterating that no one will be sanctioned without clear evidence of wrongdoing.
“I’m not in a rush to punish people without proven allegations. I’m leading with integrity, and everybody must follow suit. This has sent signals to everybody that now, it’s time to be serious,” he added.
