Mustapha Ussif Denies Involvement in GH¢50 Million Ghost Names Scandal

Mustapha Ussif, a former NSS director, denies accusations in a GH¢50 million ghost names scandal. He expresses willingness to cooperate with investigations and calls for calm. The issue involves numerous fake identities on the NSS payroll, leading to extensive financial losses and prompting discussions on public sector reform.

Mustapha Ussif, the former Director of the National Service Scheme (NSS) and current Member of Parliament for Yagaba-Kubori, has firmly denied any involvement in the GH¢50 million ghost names scandal recently revealed by the Attorney General. Ussif, who held the NSS leadership position from 2017 to 2021, expressed a willingness to account for his actions during his tenure and is prepared to defend himself legally if need be.

In a statement, Ussif asserted, “I served diligently during my time at the NSS and have nothing to hide. I welcome any scrutiny of my work and am prepared to cooperate fully with investigations.” His defense comes in light of serious allegations suggesting that senior officials, including district directors and payroll officers, may have created fake identities to obtain public funds intended for national service personnel.

Attorney General Dr. Dominic Ayine characterized the scandal as a “nationwide criminal enterprise,” revealing that a staggering 81,885 ghost names were allegedly funneled through the NSS payroll. He indicated that this scheme could potentially result in losses exceeding GH¢50 million on a monthly basis. Notably, it has come to light that fraudulent entries were purportedly submitted prior to each service year, redirecting funds into private accounts and allegedly used to silence a sitting MP in 2024.

As this scandal unfolds, Ussif has called for calm among the public, reiterating his commitment to transparency throughout this investigation. There are growing calls for significant reforms of Ghana’s public payroll systems to avoid a recurrence of such malfeasance. The repercussions of the allegations may echo well beyond Ussif, as they renew discussions about accountability and oversight in the nation’s financial management.

Mustapha Ussif has outright denied his involvement in a major scandal related to the NSS, asserting his readiness to cooperate with ongoing investigations. The allegations, which involve a significant number of ghost names on payroll purportedly siphoning off millions from the state, have raised concerns over public sector corruption in Ghana. As the situation develops, calls for systemic reform regarding public payroll practices continue to gain traction.

Original Source: www.newsghana.com.gh