National Service Scheme

Also known as: NSS

Government scheme employing national service personnel, currently facing a ghost names fraud scandal with multiple trials underway.

2026-04-302026-10-08

In coverage

Verbatim sentences from the source article.

April 2026
30 AprJoy Online
President John Dramani Mahama has recommended automatic employment for a female National Service Scheme (NSS) person who distinguished herself during recovery efforts following the fire outbreak at the Akosombo substation. …
Mahama recommends female NSS person for automatic employment after Akosombo recovery efforts

Politics

Parliament clarifies administrative notice on national service personnel placements

The News

Parliament has clarified that a notice stating "No Vacancy for National Service Personnel 2026/2027" was a routine administrative message, not a policy change or freeze on placements, informing prospective personnel that it had received more than it could accommodate and directing them to seek reposting elsewhere. Parliament said it remains committed to the National Service Scheme and regretted any confusion caused by the notice's wording.

5 October 2026 · The Ghanaian Times →

Monday 5 October

Parliament clarifies administrative notice on national service personnel placements
Parliament has clarified that a notice stating "No Vacancy for National Service Personnel 2026/2027" was a routine administrative message, not a policy change or freeze on placements, informing prospective personnel that it had received more than it could accommodate and directing them to seek reposting elsewhere. Parliament said it remains committed to the National Service Scheme and regretted any confusion caused by the notice's wording.
5 October 2026 · The Ghanaian Times →
Parliament clarifies no-vacancy notice was administrative, not policy
Parliament clarified that a notice saying there were "no vacancies" for national service personnel in 2026/2027 was routine administrative communication, not a policy to halt placements. Parliament said it had received more personnel than it could accommodate and directed those affected to seek reposting elsewhere, while reaffirming its commitment to the National Service Scheme.
5 October 2026 · Joy Online →

Friday 31 July

Ghana's courts violate constitution requiring landed property for bail
A legal analysis argues that requiring immovable property as a bail condition in Ghana violates constitutional rights to personal liberty, equality, and freedom from discrimination, creating a wealth-based dual justice system where the poor face prolonged pre-trial detention while the wealthy gain rapid release.
31 July 2026 · Joy Online →

Tuesday 21 July

MFWA chief calls for NSA capacity scheme termination, fund refunds
Sulemana Braimah, Executive Director of the Media Foundation for West Africa, has called on the National Service Authority to end its capacity-building programme and refund deductions made from national service personnel allowances, citing concerns including a GH¢60 capacity-building charge and findings from a forensic audit that identified unsupported payments of GH¢9,276,535.00 to the National Service Personnel Association without formal agreements.
21 July 2026 · Joy Online →

Monday 20 July

NSS ghost names case adjourned to July 31 for frozen accounts application
The court has adjourned the case of former National Service Scheme Executive Director Osei Assibey Antwi to July 31, 2026, as the defence reviews documents ahead of filing an application to release frozen bank accounts linked to the alleged NSS ghost names scandal.
20 July 2026 · Joy Online →

Saturday 23 May

Ghana's justice system protects powerful, punishes poor
Joy Online argues that Ghana's laws and courts systematically allow political officials accused of corruption to delay justice through lawyers, medical excuses and adjournments, while ordinary citizens face swift arrest; the analysis contrasts the treatment of a young person stealing a phone with public officials losing millions of cedis, saying the system is designed to enable rather than deter corruption among the powerful.
23 May 2026 · Joy Online →

Tuesday 19 May

Court admits letter in Oware-Mensah transfer case
The High Court in Accra admitted a letter allegedly written by former National Service Scheme Deputy Executive Director Gifty Oware-Mensah directing the Agricultural Development Bank to transfer GH¢31 million into her company's private account, though the judge noted the document was faint and ordered the prosecution to file a clearer copy.
19 May 2026 · The Ghanaian Times →

Monday 18 May

Letter to transfer NSS funds admitted in Oware-Mensah trial
A letter allegedly written by former NSS Deputy Executive Director Gifty Oware-Mensah directing the Agricultural Development Bank to transfer funds to her private company has been admitted into evidence in her trial for the alleged loss of GH¢38 million in the National Service ghost names scandal. Oware-Mensah faces charges including stealing, wilfully causing financial loss to the state, using public office for profit, and money laundering; she has pleaded not guilty and been granted bail.
18 May 2026 · Joy Online →

Monday 11 May

High Court rejects bid to halt NSS scandal trial
The High Court's Criminal Division 4 has rejected an oral application by the defence to stay proceedings in the National Service Scheme scandal trial. The defence counsel had sought to suspend proceedings pending a Supreme Court application challenging the constitutionality of a 2018 practice direction, but the trial court found no evidence that the Supreme Court application had been properly served.
11 May 2026 · Joy Online →

Thursday 7 May

Over 5,000 agricultural graduates seek government recruitment
A coalition of graduates from Ghana's agricultural colleges is pressing the government to approve recruitment for long-vacant positions, citing a backlog of more than 5,000 trained officers who have remained unemployed for up to seven years and weakening extension and veterinary services.
7 May 2026 · Joy Online →

Thursday 30 April

Mahama recommends automatic employment for NSS worker
President John Dramani Mahama recommended automatic employment for a female NSS person who distinguished herself during recovery efforts after a fire at the Akosombo substation. The President commended engineers and technical teams for their swift response in restoring power and noted that the NSS personnel demonstrated exceptional dedication warranting reward for their commitment to stabilising the national grid.
30 April 2026 · Joy Online →