Ghana’s President John Dramani Mahama has launched an investigation into the National Service Authority following the discovery of over 81,000 suspected ghost names on its payroll.
The irregularities were uncovered during a headcount to clear arrears in allowance payments for graduates undertaking their mandatory one-year employment placements.
A statement from the presidency revealed that the finance ministry had released 226 million Ghana cedis ($14.6 million) for just over 98,000 legitimate payees, raising concerns about previous fraudulent disbursements.
Mahama, who recently returned to office, has pledged to tackle deep-seated corruption in the West African nation, which is recovering from its worst economic crisis in decades.
In a separate development, Ghana’s anti-graft agency, the Office of the Special Prosecutor, has declared former Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta a “wanted fugitive” over his alleged involvement in five transactions under investigation for corruption. Ofori-Atta has yet to respond to the allegations.
