Gifty Oware Mensah Returns to Ghana Amidst Explosive Ghost Names Scandal Investigation

Ghana Football Association (GFA) Executive Council member & former Deputy Executive Director of the National Service Scheme NSS, Gifty Oware Mensah, has returned to Ghana to present herself to the National Investigation Bureau NIB as part of a high profile probe into massive payroll fraud scandal.

The Investigation Unfolds

Oware Mensah who had been in the United States following elections, arrived in Accra on Tuesday where she was met by family members.

Reports indicate that the NIB had been seeking her arrest upon her return in connection with the scandal, though she wasn't detained at Kotoka International Airport.

She has voluntarily agreed to cooperate with authorities and will meet investigators alongside her legal team.

The Allegations: Ghost Names & Financial Misuse

The NIB is investigating a payroll fraud scheme that allegedly involved the insertion of 81,885 ghost names into the National Service Scheme NSS payroll, leading to fraudulent payments that cost the state approximately 50 million Ghanaian Cedi per month.

According to official reports, the actual number of active service personnel was 98,145 while the previous NSS administration presented a grossly inflated figure of 180,030 for allowance payments in 2024.

The investigation suggests that officials within the National Service Authority NSA may have facilitated the fraudulent scheme, diverting millions of cedis in state funds.

Extradition & Expanding Investigations

The Ghanaian government's announced extradition efforts to bring key suspects who may have fled the country back to face justice and former NSA Deputy Director of Operations, Kwaku Ohene Gyan, has already been detained for questioning.

What’s Next for Oware Mensah?

As the deputy executive director in charge of administration and finance, Oware Mensah had critical role in payroll management, making her key witness or potentially suspec, in the unfolding scandal.