By Nadia Ntiamoah
The National Service Authority (NSA), once seen as a proud Ghanaian institution fostering youth development and national service, has become the epicenter of one of the country’s most shocking financial scandals in recent memory.
What began as whispers of “ghost names” and payroll padding has now been confirmed by a forensic audit to be a grand conspiracy that siphoned more than GH¢2.4 billion (approximately $222 million) from state coffers — enough to construct another University of Ghana Medical Centre (UGMC) and still leave spare change.
At the heart of this monumental financial crime are two key figures — former Executive Director Osei-Assibey Antwi and his deputy, Gifty Oware-Mensah (formerly Oware-Aboagye) — both of whom now stand accused of masterminding a sophisticated system that turned the National Service payroll into a personal gold mine.
A System Built On Ghosts
The scandal, now popularly dubbed “The Ghost Service Heist,” was first exposed in late 2024 through a painstaking investigation by The Fourth Estate, which revealed how tens of thousands of fake names had been inserted into the NSA’s payroll under the guise of national service personnel.
The exposé prompted lawsuits from the implicated officials — Osei-Assibey and Oware-Mensah — who secured a court injunction to block publication.
However, the truth could not stay buried for long. Leaked documents and whistleblower testimonies pushed the matter into the public domain, forcing the Auditor-General’s Department to launch a forensic audit.
The results, published in October 2025, painted a grim picture of institutional rot, greed, and betrayal of public trust.
According to the audit, a staggering GH¢2.4 billion (GH¢2,448,202,404.46) was lost through a complex web of financial irregularities.
The crimes included payroll padding, illegal procurement deals, and diversion of funds meant for genuine service personnel.
Even more shocking was the revelation that Gifty Oware-Mensah herself was listed as a national service person — and paid monthly allowances for a full year, despite already drawing a salary as the Deputy Executive Director of the Authority.
How the Loot Was Engineered
The fraudulent scheme revolved around the Centralised Service Management Platform (CSMP) — commonly known as the Metric App — introduced to digitize national service postings.
But instead of ensuring transparency, insiders say the platform became the perfect cover for large-scale payroll manipulation.
Between August 2021 and February 2025, the system allegedly processed allowances for over 60,000 ghost service personnel, draining nearly GH¢500.8 million from state accounts. Investigators discovered that payments were approved directly by Osei-Assibey and his deputies, with funds routed through layers of fake accounts and prepaid e-zwich cards.
The audit also revealed that an additional GH¢106 million earmarked for the NSA’s Kumawu Farm Project simply vanished — with no evidence the farm ever existed.
Meanwhile, GH¢8.2 million was traced directly to Osei-Assibey’s personal e-zwich account.
Gifty Oware-Mensah’s Private Gains
For her part, Gifty Oware-Mensah allegedly used her private company, Blocks of Life Consult, to secure a GH¢31.5 million loan from the Agricultural Development Bank (ADB), claiming it was to supply goods to national service personnel on a hire-purchase scheme.
Investigations revealed that no such supplies ever occurred — the company existed merely as a front for laundering funds siphoned from the NSA.
In another jaw-dropping revelation, the Auditor-General’s report showed that Oware-Mensah’s personal accounts and affiliated companies received multiple large transactions disguised as consultancy fees, “logistics support,” and “training coordination.”
Court documents indicate she also orchestrated the registration of nearly 10,000 fake service personnel, ensuring their allowances were paid into accounts linked to her and her associates.
The Arrests, Charges, And Bail Drama
Both officials now face multiple criminal charges.
Osei-Assibey Antwi has been charged with 14 counts of stealing, money laundering, and causing financial loss to the state.
He was granted bail of GH¢800 million by the Accra High Court, with six sureties who must each provide immovable property equivalent to the bail amount.
His deputy, Gifty Oware-Mensah, is facing five counts, including stealing, money laundering, and using public office for profit.
She was granted GH¢10 million bail under strict conditions, including the surrender of her passport and twice-monthly reporting to the police.
The prosecution, led by Deputy Attorney-General Dr. Justice Srem-Sai, told the court that both accused persons played “coordinated and complicit” roles in diverting public funds and enriching themselves under the pretext of national service reforms.
