[Ghana] Audit reveals 1,000 babies on National Service Authority payroll

In Ghana, an audit has revealed that the National Service Authority (NSA) has more than 1,000 babies listed on its payroll, draining resources meant for actual service personnel, MyjoyOnline.com reports.

The Ministry of Youth Development and Empowerment, acting on the orders of President Mahama, abruptly suspended the NSA’s Central Management System (CMS) on June 18 in the wake of integrity concerns, delaying national service postings.

“If the system were foolproof, we wouldn’t have had children under one year without a Ghana Card being on our payroll,” Acting Executive Director Ruth Dela Seddoh said. “We had almost 1,000 kids under one year on our payroll, on our system.”

She detailed further systemic failures, “But we were thinking that if the system were to be foolproof, the system would have detected that these people were minors. Because it is done, and it can be done. To the extent that the system can determine that these ones are below the age of 18, but that was not done.”

The audit also showed that around 3,000 individuals over the age of 80 were receiving monthly allowances, even though the official exit age is 40.

“Meanwhile, the exit years for everybody is 40 years. So how come people above 40 years were found under the system?” she asked.

The NSA has reportedly assured prospective service personnel that, despite news of the failures, postings will be released on November 1, 2025.

“The transition team has been put in place and the framework for the new system has been set up… I can assure any prospective personnel to calm down, as by November 1, the posting will be done,” Acting Executive Director Ruth Dela Seddoh told JoyNews.

The scandal has led to administrative shake-ups at the Authority, including the reassignment of former acting Director Felix Gyamfi to the Ministry of Finance.

With reforms underway, the NSA says it is now working to ensure future payrolls and postings are accurate, transparent, and free from discrepancies.

Source: MyjoyOnline.com

(Quotes via original reporting)

In Ghana, an audit has revealed that the National Service Authority (NSA) has more than 1,000 babies listed on its payroll, draining resources meant for actual service personnel, MyjoyOnline.com reports.

The Ministry of Youth Development and Empowerment, acting on the orders of President Mahama, abruptly suspended the NSA’s Central Management System (CMS) on June 18 in the wake of integrity concerns, delaying national service postings.

“If the system were foolproof, we wouldn’t have had children under one year without a Ghana Card being on our payroll,” Acting Executive Director Ruth Dela Seddoh said. “We had almost 1,000 kids under one year on our payroll, on our system.”

She detailed further systemic failures, “But we were thinking that if the system were to be foolproof, the system would have detected that these people were minors. Because it is done, and it can be done. To the extent that the system can determine that these ones are below the age of 18, but that was not done.”

The audit also showed that around 3,000 individuals over the age of 80 were receiving monthly allowances, even though the official exit age is 40.

“Meanwhile, the exit years for everybody is 40 years. So how come people above 40 years were found under the system?” she asked.

The NSA has reportedly assured prospective service personnel that, despite news of the failures, postings will be released on November 1, 2025.

“The transition team has been put in place and the framework for the new system has been set up… I can assure any prospective personnel to calm down, as by November 1, the posting will be done,” Acting Executive Director Ruth Dela Seddoh told JoyNews.

The scandal has led to administrative shake-ups at the Authority, including the reassignment of former acting Director Felix Gyamfi to the Ministry of Finance.

With reforms underway, the NSA says it is now working to ensure future payrolls and postings are accurate, transparent, and free from discrepancies.

Source: MyjoyOnline.com

(Quotes via original reporting)