The board of the National Service Authority (NSA) has taken a strong step to eliminate ghost names and other fraudulent issues by establishing a Transition and Implementation Steering Committee (TISC) to oversee the development of a new metric app for national service deployment.

The creation of the TISC follows the expiration of the current digital platform in August 2025, which has been widely criticised for its weak verification and monitoring processes. A recent audit confirmed these issues, calling the system unsatisfactory and vulnerable to abuse.

The audit revealed that approximately GH¢15,178.50 was paid to service personnel aged under one year across 26 transactions.

Additionally, about GH¢889,997.77 was paid to personnel aged under 10 years across 1,570 transactions. These and other findings indicate that the system is unfit and highly vulnerable to fraudulent schemes.

In June this year, the office of the President directed the Minister of Youth Development and Empowerment and the management of the Authority to suspend the old system and oversee the rollout of a new, robust, and comprehensive system.

The TISC, established under this directive, has full authority to manage a smooth transition to the new digital system.

Its responsibilities include guiding the migration from the old system, overseeing the design and deployment of a state-of-the-art ICT platform, and supervising its integration into key functions, such as enrollment, postings, payroll, allowances, and overall scheme administration.

Led by Dr Wisdom Atiwoto, a member of the NSA Board and Director of Research, Statistics, and Information Management at the Ministry of Health, the Committee includes experts from both within and outside the Authority.

NSA Board Chairman Emmanuel Okai Mintah stated that the committee’s goal is to “deliver a robust and future-ready platform that not only guarantees real-time verification of service personnel postings but also protects public funds by eliminating ghost names.”

The NSA has assured service personnel and the public that there will be no disruptions to allowances or postings during the transition. Regular updates will keep stakeholders informed of the committee’s progress.

This significant step marks a decisive move towards strengthening the integrity of the National Service Scheme, as the Authority aims to innovate and rebuild public confidence in its operations.