Government clears National Service arrears - The Daily Statesman Newspaper

By Bright Philip Donkor

The National Service Authority (NSA) has disbursed all outstanding allowances owed to national service personnel, effective yesterday, February 13, 2025. The Director General of the Authority, Felix Gyamfi, confirmed this development at a press briefing held yesterday at the NSA Headquarters in Accra.

According to Mr. Gyamfi, the Authority had initially considered making payments as early as Tuesday, February 11, but, following further consultations, settled on February 13 as the final disbursement date. He assured service personnel that all arrears from August through January had been fully processed, bringing long-awaited relief to thousands of beneficiaries.

“The allowances from August, September, October, November, December, and January have all been paid. In fact, I am sure that some personnel have already started receiving their payments. I have been in communication with the payment platform providers, and at this moment, allowances should be hitting accounts,” Mr. Gyamfi stated.

According to him, the backlog for September 2024 was cleared with payments made to 10,712 personnel. In October 2024, another 10,712 personnel received their delayed allowances. For November 2024, a total of 98,145 personnel were paid their allowances, with the same number receiving their payments for December 2024. In January 2025, the NSA ensured that 98,145 personnel were once again paid without delays.

Clarification

Mr. Gyamfi further clarified that no deductions had been made for service personnel who had made purchases through the NSA marketplace, including soft loans, mobile phones, televisions, and clothing items. He explained that the Authority wanted to verify all transactions before implementing any deductions.

“For those who took the NSA cloth from vendors, we are not making deductions this month. We will first review the contracts and ensure accuracy before taking any action,” he assured.

He lauded the Minister of Finance, Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson, and the Minister of Youth Development and Empowerment, George Opare-Addo, for their roles in facilitating the prompt payment of the allowances. He also commended President John Mahama for his prompt intervention in addressing the backlog of payments. He noted that President Mahama had always been concerned about ensuring timely payments to service personnel, even before assuming office.

He believes that the clearance of these arrears would ease the financial burden on service personnel across the country, many of whom had expressed frustration over the prolonged delays.

‘Ghost names’

Touching on the issue of the 81,885 suspected ‘ghost names’ on the Authority’s payroll from the previous administration, Mr. Gyamfi described the situation as an unfortunate incident within the payroll system.

He asserted that the scandal originated from the top, emphasising that it was fundamentally a leadership problem, describing the issue as “a grave and unacceptable act”. He vowed to take decisive action to eliminate the problem permanently.

Mr. Gyamfi assured the public that concrete steps were already being taken to address the issue. “I have given my word, and people should take my word for it. I want my actions to reflect my words. As I stand here, I can confidently say that there will be no more ghost names on the National Service payroll,” he stated.

He further pledged to be personally accountable, should the issue resurface. “If ghost names appear on the payroll again, I expect to be held responsible. This commitment is in honour of the trust President Mahama has placed in me, as well as the respect and support of my family, friends, and all those around me,” he added.

He reaffirmed his determination to restore integrity to the National Service system, stressing that his leadership would ensure accountability and transparency moving forward.

Bigger vision

The Director-General also stated that the vision and opportunities the NSA aims to introduce across the country would soon become evident. He emphasised that while the focus was not solely on agriculture, the NSA would soon implement interventions in key sectors of the economy. These initiatives, he noted, would be highly impactful and bring tangible benefits to communities nationwide.

He disclosed that the NSA was set to embark on an ambitious land reclamation and large-scale agricultural initiative aimed at restoring degraded lands and contributing to food security in Ghana.

He emphasised that significant work had already been done behind the scenes. “I don’t say this just because it is easy to say. We have put in a lot of effort. Just yesterday, I met with some of our partners, and we are working very hard on it,” he stated.

He mentioned that, as part of the project, the NSA would focus on reclaiming lands destroyed by illegal mining activities. “We are going to work on land reclamation, particularly in areas where illegal mining has caused extensive damage. We will collaborate with professors from the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) to plant trees that will help restore soil fertility,” he revealed.

Beyond reclamation efforts, he indicated, the NSA would also rolling out a large-scale mixed farming initiative across multiple regions in Ghana. “We have already engaged a partner, and we are in discussions to sign an agreement. This is not a small project; we will plant maize in several regions, not just in two or three locations,” he added.

The initiative will also involve educational institutions, including secondary schools, colleges of education, and agricultural colleges, to ensure broad participation in agricultural production. “This strategy will help stabilize food prices, especially the cost of maize and poultry products. Our overall goal is to reduce food inflation, and we will work closely with the Ministry of Agriculture to achieve this,” he explained.