"No Ghana Card, no NSS” - National Service Authority cracks down on ghost names

The Acting Director General of the National Service Authority (NSA), Felix Gyamfi, announced major reforms. These changes aim to remove ghost names from the payroll.

He stated that no graduate can undertake national service without a Ghana Card or accreditation from GTEC.

In an interview on Joy FM's GhanaConnect, Mr. Gyamfi emphasized that these measures are not minor adjustments. They represent a strong commitment to ending payroll fraud in the National Service Scheme.

“If you don’t have a Ghana Card, you cannot do national service,” he said. He explained that the Ghana Card is a key form of identification.

On February 12, 2025, President John Mahama ordered an investigation into NSA operations. This followed the discovery of 81,885 suspected ghost names on its payroll.

The directive came after the Finance Ministry found discrepancies during a headcount of active personnel. This headcount was necessary to clear allowance arrears dating back to August 2024.

Mr. Gyamfi mentioned that eligibility criteria will be tightened further. Only graduates from properly accredited institutions will be allowed to enlist for national service.

“If your school is not accredited by GTEC, you cannot do national service,” he stressed. He noted that many safeguards existed before but were ignored due to poor leadership.

Other new measures include:

1. Mandatory biometric validation: Service personnel must visit NSA offices monthly for biometric checks before salaries are processed.

2. Strict age and registration compliance: Anyone exceeding the age limit or bypassing registration will be disqualified automatically.

3. Live verification protocols: Personnel must be physically verified by NSA officers before being placed on the payroll.