A recent investigation by The Fourth Estate has revealed glaring vulnerabilities in Ghana’s National Service Scheme (NSS), exposing how tens of thousands of ghost names infiltrated the payroll system despite the integration of the Ghana Card—a biometric identity credential hailed as a definitive solution to such fraud.
The findings cast doubt on the efficacy of digital systems in curbing corruption without robust oversight.
In the lead-up to the 2024 elections, then-Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia championed the Ghana Card as a transformative tool to eliminate ghost workers from government payrolls. Promising enhanced accountability, the system linked public sector registrations to unique biometric identifiers. However, The Fourth Estate uncovered a sophisticated scheme exploiting a loophole designed for “private candidates”—graduates who missed their mandatory national service in prior years. Fraudsters allegedly manipulated this provision, registering fictitious identities with fabricated student IDs and Ghana Card numbers, then assigning them to institutions to siphon allowances.
“The system was engineered to block fraud, but those behind this operation found a way to bypass safeguards,” said Sulemana Braimah, Executive Director of The Fourth Estate, during a televised interview. Investigators discovered instances where a single ghost name appeared over 200 times, linked to duplicate Ghana Card details. “Dr. Bawumia claimed the Ghana Card would root out ghost names, yet the fraud here was meticulously orchestrated,” Braimah added.
The National Service Authority (NSA) has pushed back against the claims. NSA Executive Director Felix Gyamfi dismissed the report as “not entirely factual,” emphasizing that an internal probe is ongoing. “Culpability has not yet been established,” Gyamfi stated, though he declined to provide specifics on the inquiry’s scope or timeline.
The revelations have sparked public outcry, with critics arguing that digital solutions alone cannot combat graft without stringent monitoring. While the Ghana Card has streamlined processes in sectors like banking and healthcare, its failure to prevent NSS fraud underscores systemic flaws. Analysts note that human collusion—such as insiders approving fraudulent entries—can undermine even the most advanced systems.
This scandal also reignites debates over political accountability. Dr. Bawumia’s vigorous promotion of the Ghana Card as a corruption antidote now faces scrutiny, particularly as the nation approaches another election cycle. Opposition figures and civil society groups are demanding transparency, urging the government to address loopholes and audit all public payrolls.
The NSS, which coordinates mandatory national service for graduates, has long been plagued by financial mismanagement. In 2022, a similar scandal led to the dismissal of over 100 staff implicated in ghost worker schemes. The recurrence of such fraud raises questions about institutional reforms and enforcement.
As pressure mounts, the government faces a critical test. Restoring public trust will require not only patching technical gaps but also ensuring accountability for those complicit in the scheme. For Ghanaians, the stakes extend beyond finances—the credibility of digital governance itself hangs in the balance.
“Digitalization is a tool, not a magic wand,” remarked governance expert Dr. Clara Osei-Peprah. “Without a culture of integrity and punitive measures for wrongdoing, even the best systems will fail.”
With the NSA’s internal investigation underway, citizens await concrete action. For now, the saga of the ghost names serves as a stark reminder: technology can illuminate corruption, but only sustained political will can eradicate it.
