Former Deputy Director of the National Service Authority (NSA), Gifty Oware Mensah, has returned to Ghana as investigations continue into a ghost names scandal at the NSA. Oware Mensah, who had been in the United States following the recent elections, arrived in the country on Tuesday afternoon, where she was greeted by family members at the airport.
Her return comes in the wake of reports that the National Intelligence Bureau (NIB) had been seeking her arrest in connection with the scandal. This situation has escalated following the detention of Kwaku Ohene Gyan, the former Deputy Director of Operations at the NSA, who is also implicated in the investigation.
The ghost names scandal involves allegations of fraudulent payments made to non-existent personnel on the National Service payroll. Investigations have revealed that thousands of ghost names were allegedly inserted into the payroll system, leading to substantial financial losses for the state. Preliminary findings suggest that certain officials at the NSA may have facilitated these fraudulent payments, diverting funds intended for legitimate national service personnel.
The scandal has raised significant concerns about transparency and accountability within the NSA, prompting calls for reforms in the administration of the National Service Scheme, which enrolls thousands of young graduates each year. As the investigation unfolds, stakeholders are urging the government to take decisive action to restore integrity to the program and ensure that public funds are safeguarded.
Oware Mensah’s return is anticipated to provide clarity on her involvement in the scandal, and it remains to be seen how she will respond to the allegations as the investigation progresses.