Kwaku Ohene Djan, the former Deputy Executive Director of the National Service Authority (NSA), has been released after days in detention over his alleged role in the NSA scandal. Mr. Djan was held as part of an investigation into alleged financial mismanagement and misconduct at the NSA.
Sources indicate that his detention was linked to ongoing efforts to uncover irregularities that have raised public concern in recent months. The probe, which has implicated several high-profile individuals, focuses on allegations of fraud, financial misappropriation, and systemic lapses that have led to significant losses. Following his release on Monday, February 24, it was stated that Mr.
Djan remains a person of interest and may be recalled for further questioning. His legal representatives have assured that he is fully prepared to cooperate with investigators to ensure due process. Hopeson Adorye, a former member of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), has mounted a spirited defence of Gifty Oware-Mensah, a member of the Executive Council of the Ghana Football Association and a former Deputy Director of the National Service Authority, whose name has popped up in an alleged payroll fraud.
Adorye, who claims to have inside knowledge of the operations of the NSA, holds that Gifty Oware-Mensah, who is the chairperson of the Management Committee of the Black Queens, could not have been involved due to the role she occupied. Detailing the organogram and workflow at the NSA, Adorye claimed that Gifty Oware-Mensah’s role as a Deputy Director in charge of administration makes it impossible for her to have been involved in the alleged scam. He posited that the Deputy Directors in charge of operations at the NSA are more likely to have been involved, as the process falls directly under their office.
“I don’t know why my niece, Gifty Oware-Mensah, has become the focus of their campaign at the NSA. They are focusing on her while the others are being left off the hook. The process is such that the institutions will submit names for recruitment.
After that, the Director in charge of deployment will generate the pins. The next step involves the Deputy Director in charge of operations giving the approval. Gifty was a Deputy Director in charge of administration.
Nana B was in charge of operations. Which part of their system involves Gifty for them to have gone after her?” he said. Reports indicate the National Investigations Bureau (NIB) wants to question Gifty Oware-Mensah over the payroll scandal which rocked the NSA.
Detention linked to payroll scandal
She is currently on an assignment with the Black Queens in Morocco. Oware-Mensah is a member of the GFA Executive Council, co-owner of Berry Ladies Football Club, and Vice President of Berekum Chelsea.
Former Deputy Director of Operations at the National Service Authority (NSA), Mr. Kwaku Ohene Gyan, popularly known as Osonoba, was dramatically arrested on Saturday, February 22, 2025, by officials of the National Investigations Bureau (NIB). Eyewitness accounts indicate that two pick-up vehicles trailed Mr.
Ohene Gyan before intercepting him in a swift operation. Following his arrest, he was reportedly taken to the NIB headquarters for questioning. While the exact reason for his detention remains unclear, speculation is rife that it may be linked to the ongoing investigation into the NSA payroll scandal, where allegations of ghost names and financial irregularities have emerged.
As of midday on Sunday, February 23, 2025, sources suggest that Mr. Ohene Gyan was still undergoing interrogation by NIB officials. President John Dramani Mahama recently ordered an investigation into the NSA’s operations after a staggering 81,885 suspected ghost names were discovered on its payroll.
A press statement from the presidency on February 12, 2025, confirmed that these discrepancies were detected following a nationwide headcount of active National Service personnel. The exercise was initiated by the Minister for Finance as part of efforts to clear allowance arrears dating back to August 2024. Upon completing the verification process, the Ministry of Finance disbursed GHS 226,019,224 to cover arrears for 98,145 verified National Service personnel—a figure significantly lower than the 180,030 names previously submitted by the former NSA management for payments.
In light of these findings, President Mahama has directed the new NSA leadership to implement stringent reforms to prevent future payroll fraud and restore integrity to the institution’s operations. The discovery of the ghost names has brought back to focus previous declarations by Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, who had emphasized the importance of digitization in intercepting such fraudulent activities and combating corruption.
The existence of 81,885 ghost names raises concerns about the potential economic impact, including the risk of financial instability. The arrest of Mr. Kwaku Ohene Gyan is a significant development in the ongoing investigation into the NSA payroll scandal.
As authorities continue their interrogation and the new NSA leadership implements reforms, the hope is to restore integrity and prevent future instances of fraud within the institution.
