The National Service Authority (NSA) has disclosed that internal investigations have uncovered widespread irregularities within its system, leading to the flagging of 8,105 personnel on the national service payroll.
Out of the number flagged, 1,840 individuals have been temporarily suspended pending the outcome of investigations by the appropriate security and investigative agencies.
Addressing a press briefing on Monday, December 15, the Director-General of the Authority, Ruth Dela Seddoh, said the irregularities were traced to three tertiary institutions: the University of Development Studies (UDS), Ghana Communication Technology University, and Akenten Appiah-Menka University of Skills Training and Entrepreneurial Development.
She explained that the discrepancies emerged after the Authority compared the number of students who had officially graduated from the institutions with the lists submitted to the NSA for national service. According to her, the findings suggest the involvement of a well-organised network, with some institutions complicit in the scheme.
Ms Seddoh described the findings as shocking, noting that the comprehensive investigations led to the flagging of 8,105 individuals, with 1,840 of them suspended while further investigations are conducted by security agencies. She added that 10 staff members from the affected institutions have been arrested and are currently under investigation.
Responding to concerns about the closure of the service portal after two extensions, six weeks after it was opened, the Director-General said the decision was deliberate and necessary to allow for reposting, proper validation and the physical verification of personnel at their assigned posts.
She stressed that the timeline was not arbitrary, explaining that enforcing the deadline was critical to ensuring accurate deployment records, confirming the physical presence of service personnel, eliminating ghost or fraudulent registrations, and facilitating a second round of validation to enable the timely payment of allowances to verified personnel.
