The National Service Authority (NSA) has uncovered what it describes as a major payroll fraud scheme involving more than 8,000 suspected irregular service personnel, with over 1,800 already suspended as investigations intensify.

Addressing a news conference at the Authority’s head office in Accra, Director-General of the NSA, Ruth Dela Seddoh, said a “shocking discovery” from a detailed internal investigation led to the flagging of 8,105 individuals on the system, out of which 1,840 have been temporarily suspended pending further investigations by security agencies.

“It is a whole huge cartel,” Madam Seddoh stated. “Due to the outcome of our very detailed, thorough and comprehensive investigation, we made shocking discoveries that resulted in the flagging of 8,105 individuals in the system.”

She explained that the irregularities were traced to three tertiary institutions — the University of Development Studies (UDS), Ghana Communications Technology University (GCTU), and Akenten Appiah-Menka University of Skills Training and Entrepreneurial Development (AAMUSTED). According to her, the scheme involved the submission of compromised data that could have allowed non-qualified individuals to be enrolled as national service personnel.

As part of the ongoing probe, the NSA boss disclosed that 10 staff members from the affected institutions have been arrested and are currently under investigation by security agencies. She added that some staff of the National Service Authority have also been picked up and are undergoing interrogation by National Security.

Madam Seddoh warned that the financial and institutional implications could have been severe if the irregularities had gone undetected. She said the state would have suffered significant losses through the payment of monthly allowances to unqualified persons, while the credibility and integrity of the National Service Scheme would have been badly compromised.

To prevent a recurrence, the Director-General announced a series of reforms, including automated cross-checks between tertiary institution databases and NSA records, periodic audits of institutional submissions, and enhanced training for institutional staff on data integrity and compliance.

She assured the public that the Authority remains committed to safeguarding the integrity of the national service system and will continue to work closely with investigative bodies to ensure accountability.