NSS Ghost Names: Richard Kumadoe advocates for Undercover Investigations into Corruption
A security consultant, Richard Kumadoe, has advised that the government deploy undercover agents in the various sectors of the country to combat financial crime.
This advice follows the discovery of up to 81,885 suspected ghost names on the payroll of the National Service Scheme (NSS).
Speaking with Joy News on Thursday, February 13, 2025, Mr. Kumadoe emphasized that putting people undercover to do background checks is the ideal way to absolutely eradicate these kinds of corrupt incidences rather than simply reacting to them after they occur.
“Just like we saw it being done in Tanzania when Mangufuli was the president. The ideas we gave as consultants have helped many of those countries clean up broad and make financial crime a thing of the past. We can inculcate some of these things and make sure that background checks are even the major issue.”
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He believes that leaving this responsibility in the hands of parliamentarians would not yield any fruit as there would be less scrutiny.
He therefore urged the government to, as a matter of fact, stick to undercover investigations into matters of corruption in the country; otherwise, such cases will continue to plague the country.
“I think as a nation, from where president Mahama has started, we need to encourage him to continue; either way, we may clean up and come back to square one.”
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On Wednesday, February 12, 2025, Ghana’s government exposed a payroll irregularity within the National Service Scheme (NSS), uncovering 81,885 fictitious personnel.
A recent audit revealed a significant gap between the actual number of NSS personnel and the inflated figures presented for compensation, with only 98,145 personnel actively serving, whereas a staggering 180,030 individuals were listed to receive allowances in 2024.
President Mahama has responded by instructing the National Investigations Bureau to launch a thorough probe into the National Service Authority’s activities.