Author: George Kwaku Yeboah
Ghana must never forget the colossal betrayal that defined the eight-year reign of Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo and his loyal sidekick, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia.
If anyone still doubts the scale of institutionalised corruption under their leadership, the recent scandal at the National Service Authority (NSA) should dispel all illusions.
In what is shaping up to be one of the biggest payroll frauds in our country’s history, over 81,000 ghost names were discovered on the NSA’s payroll. That’s right—GHS 51 million stolen every single month, paid out to non-existent “service personnel” enrolled through a sophisticated web of digital deceit. The figures are mind-numbing, the audacity insulting, and the implications devastating.
This isn’t just about a few unscrupulous individuals sneaking names onto a list. This was systemic. Organised. Sanctioned by silence and enabled by a culture of impunity that festered under the very noses of those who claimed to be fighting corruption.
Those in charge at the NSA didn’t just sleep on their jobs—they opened the gates wide and handed over the keys to the thieves.
Digital Deception and Institutional Denial
Ghost names aren’t new in Ghana’s public sector, but this particular operation was executed with technological finesse. Investigative journalists from The Fourth Estate uncovered a trail involving fake student index numbers, forged records, and unauthorised payments—all facilitated within supposedly secure digital systems.
Instead of resigning in disgrace, the former leadership of the NSA—many of them unapologetically affiliated with the New Patriotic Party (NPP)—have resorted to arrogant denials.
They’ve called the reports “inaccurate” and “misleading,” expecting Ghanaians to believe that such a massive financial hemorrhage could happen under their watch without their knowledge. If that’s true, then they were grossly incompetent. If it’s false, then they are complicit. Either way, heads must roll.
Among those arrested and currently under investigation is Gifty Oware-Mensah, former Deputy Executive Director of the NSA and a prominent NPP figure.
One of the loudest voices pushing for the disastrous “Break the 8” agenda, Oware-Mensah embodied the arrogance and entitlement that came to define Akufo-Addo’s second term. And now, with the skeletons tumbling out, we begin to understand why they fought tooth and nail to retain power. It wasn’t about service to the nation. It was about protecting the loot.
The Tip of the Iceberg
Let’s not delude ourselves. This scandal is merely a symptom of a broader disease. The Akufo-Addo/Bawumia government was a toxic cocktail of propaganda, economic mismanagement, and grand corruption.
They inherited an economy with promise and potential. Eight years later, they left behind a junk-rated economy, suffocating debt, a devastated currency, and broken institutions.
From the National Cathedral scandal—where millions of dollars were funneled into a vanity project with no accountability—to the COVID-19 funds mismanagement, to the Galamsey cartel operating under government protection, the rot ran deep. Akufo-Addo’s so-called “incorruptible” reputation now lies in ruins, buried under a mountain of lies and lost opportunities.
When statesmen like Dr. Nyaho Nyaho-Tamakloe warned that Ghana would experience the worst form of leadership under Akufo-Addo, many brushed it off as internal party politics.
Today, those words ring painfully true. The NPP didn’t just misgovern. They looted with impunity. They insulted our intelligence. And worst of all, they gambled with our future.
Where Is Justice?
The new administration under President John Mahama has begun the process of unearthing and prosecuting these crimes. But justice must not be selective, slow, or symbolic.
Ghanaians demand a forensic audit across all state institutions. Every pesewa stolen must be accounted for. Every culprit, no matter how high up the ladder, must be prosecuted.
The National Service Scheme is meant to be a rite of passage for Ghanaian youth—a moment of national contribution and pride. But under the Akufo-Addo regime, it became just another tool for mass theft.
What message does this send to the thousands of young people genuinely serving their nation? That corruption pays? That systems don’t matter? That leadership is a get-rich-quick scheme?
Never Again
Ghana is at a crossroads. We can no longer tolerate the politics of deception. We must dismantle the patronage networks that reward mediocrity and punish integrity. We must demand accountability—not just in words but in action. And we must teach the next generation that public office is a sacred trust, not a private ATM.
The NSA scandal is not just a news story—it is a national reckoning. It is a vivid reminder of what happens when power is left unchecked and citizens become complacent. Let this be the turning point.
Let the prosecutions begin. Let the stolen monies be recovered. And let us, as a nation, vow: Never again.
