National Service Authority saves GH‵34m monthly by removing ghost names

Emmanuel Okai Mintah, the Board Chairman of the National Service Authority (NSA), has announced that the agency is now saving the Ghanaian government over GH‵34 million every month. This significant fiscal recovery was achieved by identifying and eliminating more than 50,000 "ghost names" from the authority's payroll system. Speaking in an interview on Accra100.5FM, Mr. Mintah explained that the purge of non-existent personnel was a critical step in addressing financial leakages that had long plagued the institution.

The Board Chairman revealed that upon assuming his role, he was confronted with significant administrative challenges inherited from the previous administration of former President Nana Akufo-Addo. Mintah admitted that the scale of the issues initially caused him concern regarding the feasibility of reform. However, he noted that extensive discussions with President John Mahama provided the necessary encouragement and political backing to carry out the rigorous cleanup exercise.

Mr. Mintah highlighted that the current administration's focus on empowering youth in leadership positions played a vital role in this success. He praised President Mahama's commitment to limiting political appointments in certain sectors, which allowed for a more technical and efficiency-driven approach to managing the National Service Scheme. According to the chairman, the removal of the 50,000 ghost names not only saves the state money but also restores integrity to the national service process.

In his concluding remarks, Mintah encouraged young Ghanaians to take a more proactive interest in national development, citing the NSA's recent achievements as evidence of the impact young leaders can make. The monthly savings of GH‵34 million represent a major contribution to the government’s efforts to optimize public spending. The NSA intends to maintain strict oversight of its payroll to prevent the recurrence of such leakages in the future.