A forensic audit of the National Service Authority (NSA) has revealed that its former Director-General, Osei Assibey Antwi, was simultaneously listed as a volunteer within the Authority while serving as its head. The audit, sighted by The Fourth Estate, shows that during the 2022/2023 service year—about a year after assuming office—Mr. Assibey was registered, posted, and placed on the payroll as a volunteer.
According to auditors, he was assigned an EZWICH card (No. 1177042059) and officially posted to the Greater Accra Region. However, payroll records indicated that he was instead assigned to Kumawu Farms, a 200-acre commercial farming project in the Ashanti Region initiated under his administration.
Between March 2022 and June 2023, Mr. Assibey is reported to have received GH¢516,000 per month for 16 months—an amount totalling GH¢8,256,000. At the current monthly national service allowance of GH¢715.57, this sum could have funded allowances for at least 721 service personnel.
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The revelations corroborate earlier disclosures by the Attorney-General and Minister of Justice, Dr. Dominic Ayine, during a June 13, 2025 briefing on “Operation Recover All Loot” (ORAL). Dr. Ayine confirmed that the funds were deposited into the EZWICH account registered in Mr. Assibey’s name and that the card was retrieved during a search of his residence.
Background
In November 2024, The Fourth Estate concluded a major investigation into widespread malpractices at the NSA, uncovering thousands of ghost names on its payroll. The exposé suggested that the state was losing millions of cedis through fraudulent listings. Before the report’s release, NSA officials secured a court injunction to block publication.
Following this, the Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA), which runs The Fourth Estate, petitioned the Office of the Special Prosecutor and the newly formed ORAL task force to probe the matter.
On June 13, 2025, Dr. Ayine announced that former NSA executives and other individuals would face prosecution for fraudulent practices that had cost the nation over GH¢548 million. He credited The Fourth Estate’s investigative work as the foundation for the state’s case.
“The now-famous National Service scandal, first uncovered by The Fourth Estate through its investigative journalism, formed a major plank of the ORAL report. My office is extremely grateful for the excellent groundwork they did,” Dr. Ayine said.
Story By: Afia Ohenewaa Akyerem