It Couldn’t Be a Mistake — NSS Deputy DG Questions Intent Behind Ghost Names Fraud

The Deputy Director-General of Operations at the National Service Authority (NSA), Major Moses Dok Nach Kpengu, believes the recent ghost names scandal that led to the loss of millions of cedis from the Authority’s coffers could not have been a mere mistake.

Speaking to the media, Major Kpengu revealed that the irregularities were either the result of a failed system or the deliberate actions of individuals who intended to siphon public funds.

“The system failed us, or it could be that people were intentional about causing financial irregularities. If the system did not fail us, how did ghost names enter the system and allow people to siphon millions of cedis?” he quizzed.

He noted that although he was not in office when the incident occurred, the available data suggests that the fraud could have been prevented if the system had been properly monitored.

According to him, “It baffles my mind that when you have 100,000 registered names uploaded into the system and later validate more than 100,000, you don’t flag it. If you go ahead to pay salaries for 120,000 when only 100,000 were registered, it means someone knew about it. Otherwise, why would you pay the extra 20,000?”

Major Kpengu explained that such a situation could only point to two possibilities — a major system failure or intentional wrongdoing by some individuals within the service.

He further disclosed that the Attorney General’s Department is currently handling the matter, and the National Service Authority has introduced new measures and internal controls to prevent similar irregularities in the future.

“We have put in place certain structures to make sure this kind of thing does not happen again,” he assured.

The ghost names scandal at the National Service Secretariat has raised serious concerns about accountability and transparency in the management of public funds.

The government, through the relevant authorities, is currently investigating the incident as part of broader efforts to strengthen systems and restore public confidence in state institutions.

— By Jacob Aggrey