The Director General of the National Service Authority (NSA), Felix Gyamfi, has announced that prospective graduates without a valid Ghana Card will be ineligible for national service registration.
Speaking at a press conference on Thursday, February 13, 2025, Mr. Gyamfi emphasized that this directive is part of the Authority’s efforts to eliminate ghost names from its payroll. He stated that only individuals with a valid Ghana Card would be permitted to register and participate in the national service program.
“If you do not have a valid Ghana Card ID, you will not be allowed into our system. If you are a prospective graduate without a Ghana Card, you will not be permitted to undertake national service. These are some of the steps we are taking to remove ghost names,” he affirmed.
Mr. Gyamfi also criticized the previous administration for failing to implement effective measures to curb payroll fraud, attributing the high number of ghost names to weak leadership. “This was a leadership failure. The necessary checks that should have been in place to safeguard taxpayers’ money were ignored,” he remarked.
A recent headcount of active National Service personnel, commissioned by the Minister for Finance as a prerequisite for settling outstanding allowances dating back to August 2024, revealed over 81,885 suspected ghost names on the NSA payroll.
The new directive is expected to enhance accountability and efficiency within the National Service Scheme while ensuring that only legitimate personnel receive allowances
