The National Service Authority (NSA) has flagged 8,105 personnel on the national service payroll following internal investigations that uncovered significant irregularities in the system. Of this number, 1,840 individuals have been temporarily suspended pending further investigation by the relevant security agencies.
Speaking at a press briefing on Monday, December 15, NSA Director-General Ruth Dela Seddoh revealed that the discrepancies were identified in three tertiary institutions: the University of Development Studies (UDS), Ghana Communication Technology University, and Akenten Appiah-Menka University of Skills Training and Entrepreneurial Development.
“The number of students who have officially graduated from the schools, compared with the number of students submitted to us, revealed discrepancies. Some schools are complicit in what is a large-scale cartel,” she said.
The investigations led to the arrest of 10 staff members from the institutions, who are now under scrutiny by the security agencies.
Addressing concerns over the recent shutdown of the national service portal after two extensions, Ms. Seddoh explained that the measure was necessary to allow for reposting, proper validation, and verification of personnel presence at their assigned stations.
“This timeline was not arbitrary. Enforcing the deadline was critical to ensure accurate deployment records, confirm the physical presence of personnel at their stations, and eliminate ghost or fraudulent registrations,” she said.
The Director-General emphasized that the process is structured to protect the integrity of the national service system and to ensure timely payment of allowances to verified personnel.
“The detailed validation and re-validation phases are essential to ensure that only eligible and physically present personnel receive their entitlements,” she added.

