The Attorney General, Dr. Dominic Akuritinga Ayine, has disclosed that Ghana lost over GHS 548 million to ghost names within the National Service Scheme (NSS) over a span of six service years.
According to the breakdown provided, the fraudulent payments began as far back as the 2018/2019 service year, during which GHS 25,857,836.16 (Twenty-Five Million, Eight Hundred and Fifty-Seven Thousand, Eight Hundred and Thirty-Six Ghana Cedis Sixteen Pesewas) was siphoned through non-existent personnel.
The following year, 2019/2020, recorded a slight decline in losses to GHS 21,613,962.24 (Twenty-One Million, Six Hundred and Thirteen Thousand, Nine Hundred and Sixty-Two Ghana Cedis Twenty-Four Pesewas).
However, it escalated in the subsequent years. The 2020/2021 and 2021/2022 service years witnessed losses of GHS 55,670,584.32 (Fifty-Five Million, Six Hundred and Seventy Thousand, Five Hundred and Eighty-Four Ghana Cedis Thirty-Two Pesewas) and GHS 61,383,025.74 (Sixty-One Million, Three Hundred and Eighty-Three Thousand, Twenty-Five Ghana Cedis Seventy-Four Pesewas) respectively.
The most alarming figure came in the 2022/2023 period, where an amount of GHS 350,926,977.12 (Three Hundred and Fifty Million, Nine Hundred and Twenty-Six Thousand, Nine Hundred and Seventy-Seven Ghana Cedis Twelve Pesewas) was reportedly paid to ghost names, representing the highest loss in a single year.
In the most recent 2023/2024 service year, the amount lost dropped to GHS 32,881,157.07 (Thirty-Two Million, Eight Hundred and Eighty-One Thousand, One Hundred and Fifty-Seven Ghana Cedis Seven Pesewas), suggesting a possible improvement in internal checks but still signaling a persistent issue.
In total, over the six-year period, Ghana lost GHS 548,333,542.65 (Five Hundred and Forty-Eight Million, Three Hundred and Thirty-Three Thousand, Five Hundred and Forty-Two Ghana Cedis Sixty-Five Pesewas) to this fraudulent practice, raising serious concerns about accountability and efficiency in public service management.
He stated this during a press briefing today at the Ministry of Information.
Source:Gbconline
