NSS Scandal: National Service Staff Union commends Gov’t for suspending digital system

The National Service Authority (NSA) Staff Union has welcomed the government’s decision to suspend the Central Management System (CMS) used by the Authority for postings.

In a statement signed by its Chairman, Ayirebi Adubofour, the Union described the Minister for Youth Development and Empowerment, George Opare Addo’s directive as timely and in the best interest of transparency, accountability, and the welfare of staff.

“We have not shielded our believe [sic] from Management that until the system is thoroughly scrutinized by Management and stakeholders, our activities via it should be suspended.”

The decision of the Union, which is part of under the Public Services Workers’ Union (PSWU) of the Trades Union Congress (TUC), follows the release of a damning investigation by The Fourth Estate that exposed serious concerns about the integrity and management of the CMS.

The CMS, a digital platform operated by a private firm, Inpath Technologies Ghana, was introduced to streamline and digitise postings and operations within the NSA.

However, stakeholders have raised concerns about the lack of transparency and potential manipulation in the system, prompting The Fourth Estate to look into the operations of the Authority.

The Staff Union cited comments from Sulemana Braimah, Executive Director of the Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA), the parent organisation of The Fourth Estate.

“The staff leans fervently to this decision as we have always held to the provoking [sic] thought statement of Mr. Suleiman Braimah of the Media Foundation for West Africa, the man whose investigation uncovered the alleged NSS SCANDAL,” they added.

Mr Braimah, in a series of social media campaigns, had cautioned that the system should not be operated by its current consultant due to how it had allowed for the enrolment of ghost names.

The Union stated it had repeatedly called on management to halt the use of the CMS until a full audit and stakeholder review were conducted.

“We are very mindful of the impact of this decision on the contract between Inpath Technologies Ghana and the National Service Authority,” the statement said. “However, we hold it firm that for the trauma suffered by staff of the National Service Authority on the back of the infamous scandal, and the damage done to the goodwill of the Authority, due diligence cannot be negotiated.”

The Fourth Estate’s exposé on the NSS Scandal, published earlier this year, revealed the padding of ghost names in the NSA database and manipulation of posting processes, which caused the government to pay millions of cedis to service personnel that only existed on paper. Beyond revealing the existence of ghost names in the NSA database, the publication raised critical questions about value-for-money, data security, and institutional integrity of the CSM.

The investigation prompted public demand for probity and accountability. In response, the Office of the President, through the Ministry of Youth and Empowerment, directed an immediate suspension of the CMS to allow for a comprehensive technical and forensic review.