A recent investigation by The Fourth Estate has cast doubt on former Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia’s assertion that the Ghana Card would eradicate “ghost names” from public sector payrolls, exposing alleged fraud within the National Service Scheme (NSS).
The report reveals that tens of thousands of fraudulent registrations bypassed the Ghana Card’s safeguards, reigniting debates about the efficacy of Ghana’s digital identity systems in combating corruption.
In the lead-up to the 2024 elections, Dr. Bawumia championed the Ghana Card as a “ghost name buster,” promising it would eliminate duplicate and fictitious identities from government databases. However, The Fourth Estate uncovered a scheme exploiting a loophole meant for “private candidates”—graduates who missed prior service years. Fraudsters allegedly inserted fake identities into the NSS system, assigning them to institutions using duplicated or fabricated Ghana Card numbers and student IDs.
“The system was designed to block such fraud, but those behind this manipulated it skillfully,” said Sulemana Braimah, Executive Director of The Fourth Estate, during an appearance on The KeyPoints on February 15. “We found instances where the same name appeared over 200 times, linked to identical Ghana Card details. Dr. Bawumia’s assurances now ring hollow.”
Documents reviewed by investigators showed multiple ghost names tied to identical credentials, undermining the Ghana Card’s touted role as a unique identifier. The findings have sparked public outcry, with critics accusing the government of overhyping the card’s capabilities while failing to secure critical systems.
In response, Felix Gyamfi, Executive Director of the National Service Authority (NSA), dismissed Braimah’s revelations as “not wholly accurate,” stressing that an internal investigation is underway. “Until the probe concludes, these claims remain speculative,” Gyamfi told 3news. He did not, however, provide evidence to counter the documented anomalies or clarify how the fraud occurred under the Ghana Card’s oversight.
The scandal raises urgent questions about Ghana’s reliance on digital solutions to tackle systemic corruption. While the Ghana Card has streamlined services like SIM registration and passport issuance, its failure to prevent high-profile fraud in the NSS—a program involving over 100,000 graduates annually—suggests deeper vulnerabilities. Analysts argue that technological tools alone cannot curb graft without robust oversight and transparency.
“Digital systems are only as strong as the humans managing them,” said governance expert Dr. Comfort Asare. “This case shows how collusion between officials and fraudsters can undermine even the most advanced safeguards.”
The NSS scandal also underscores longstanding issues within Ghana’s public payroll management, where ghost names have drained millions of cedis annually. Despite previous reforms, including biometric audits, gaps persist, eroding public trust.
With Dr. Bawumia positioning himself as a tech-driven reformer ahead of future elections, the NSS controversy risks denting his credibility. Opposition figures have seized on the report, accusing the government of “digital propaganda over tangible results.”
As investigations continue, Ghanaians await answers—not just on the NSS fraud, but on whether the Ghana Card can truly deliver its promised transparency. For now, the scandal serves as a stark reminder: in the fight against corruption, technology is no substitute for accountability.
