National Service: Over 8,000 Individuals Flagged, 1,800 Suspended Over Registration Irregularities
The National Service Authority (NSA) has uncovered widespread irregularities in its registration and payroll system, leading to the flagging of 8,105 individuals and the suspension of 1,840 others pending further investigation.
Damian Owusu 
The National Service Authority (NSA) has uncovered widespread irregularities in its registration and payroll system, leading to the flagging of 8,105 individuals and the suspension of 1,840 others pending further investigation.
The anomalies were detected through a rigorous verification process designed to protect the integrity of Ghana’s national service scheme. According to Acting Director-General Ruth Dela Seddoh, the investigation revealed that some tertiary institutions had submitted inflated student numbers, enabling unqualified individuals to be registered as service personnel.
Institutions implicated include:
University for Development Studies (UDS)
Ghana Communication Technology University (GCTU)
Akenteng Appiah-Minka University of Skills Training and Entrepreneurial Development (AAMUSTED)
“Any fraud whatsoever, we commission a team to go to the school where we suspect the fraud. We cross-check the number of students who have officially graduated from the school and compare that with the number submitted to us. Some schools are complicit in this whole cartel,” said Ruth Dela Seddoh.
She stressed that the irregularities, if unchecked, would have allowed non-qualified individuals to be enrolled, causing significant financial loss to the state.
Consequences
Suspensions: 1,840 individuals have been suspended while investigations continue.
Arrests: Ten staff members from the implicated institutions, along with some NSA officials, have been arrested and are under interrogation by national security agencies.
Financial Impact: The anomalies could have cost the state over GH¢68 million annually if undetected.
The NSA has strengthened its verification protocols to prevent recurrence, including:
Automated cross-checks between institutional databases and NSA records.
Periodic audits of tertiary institution submissions.
Training for institutional staff on compliance and data integrity.
The swift action by the NSA is aimed to preserve the credibility of Ghana’s national service scheme, ensuring fairness, transparency, and efficiency in the deployment of graduates.
