Breakdown of the Alleged Loss of GH¢ 548 Million to NSS Ghost Names in 6 Years

Dr. Dominic Akuritinga Ayine, Ghana’s Attorney General and Minister for Justice, has given a breakdown of the alleged massive payroll fraud at the National Service Scheme (NSS) involving past officials.

The alleged payroll fraud, that led to the loss of over GHC 548 million to ghost names over six service years forms part of an ongoing investigation into corruption and financial malfeasance within the NSS.

According to the breakdown provided by Dr. Dominic Ayine, the fraudulent payments began in 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.

According to the Attorney General, he has directed a full investigation into the assets of key individuals implicated in the major financial scandal.

Below is a table of the year-by-year loss: