National Service Scandal: Declare Culprits ‘Wanted’; Freeze Their Assets!! – Mahama Directs
H.E. John Dramani Mahama has directed for any person in connection with the National Service “ghost names” scandal who is out of Ghana to be declared “wanted” and their assets immediately frozen.
The President’s directive is to ensure the culprits do not escape punishment.
According to him, he is fully committed to the fight against corruption, a reason for his establishing the Operation Recover All Loot (ORAL).
The ORAL team has already presented their findings into corruption-related cases primarily involving officials of the previous government to the President who has also forwarded it to the Attorney-General to commence prosecutions.
“Mr. Speaker, as part of our Operation Recover All The Loot (ORAL), I have already tasked our investigative bodies to bring the culprits of the National Service ghost names scandal to justice. Such brazen theft of public funds must not go unpunished”, the President asserted while giving his maiden State of the Nation Address today in Parliament.
He disclosed that the officials of the National Service Authority under the erstwhile Akufo-Addo government hugely benefited from the ghost names they allegedly created.
Revealing how they were siphoning the monies for their personal gains, President Mahama said “it is estimated that the criminal addition of some more than 80000 ghost names could have yielded the suspects over GHC 50 million every month. Unfortunately, some of these suspects are believed to have absconded from this country already”.
He emphasized; “I have directed that they will be declared wanted and their assets traced and frozen until investigations are completed.”
In order not to record such a scandal in his administration, the President noted; “To achieve a legally robust regime to govern national service, I’ve also tasked the Minister for Youth Development and Empowerment to coordinate and present to Parliament a legislative instrument to support the implementation of the newly passed National Service Authority Act 2024, that’s Act 119. We will introduce short military training as part of our national service scheme. This will instill a sense of fitness and discipline into our youth.”
Source: Ghmessenger.com
