Peter Bismark Kwofie, Executive Director of the Institute for Liberty and Policy Innovation (ILAPI), has stated that President John Dramani Mahama’s directive for an investigation into the alleged over 81,000 ghost names found on the National Service Authority’s payroll is refreshing but not the solution to the authority’s problems.
The policy analyst described the ghost names on our payroll as a national canker, arguing that dealing with the problem will require more than a presidential directive.
In an interview with Rainbowradioonline.com, he stated that the ghost name issue is a goldmine that benefits many people, including politicians.
He lamented that over Ghc100 million are lost annually through ghost names and end up in the pockets of greedy and corrupt officials, and such money is not recovered, and the exercise becomes wasteful.
As part of his recommendations, he proposes recovering the funds paid under the ghost names and possibly prosecuting those involved.
He stated that it would be wasteful if the country was unable to recover all of the funds stolen under the ghost names.
Mr. Kwofie said, ”The fight on ghost names on public payroll is an endless one. It’s a well-organised economic action, going beyond just a mere investigation. It’s a complex process and often has little to no measurable impact whatsoever. The president’s directive to investigate over 81,000 ghost names is refreshing but not the means to ending the canker at the National Service Authority and other state institutions. It’s the gold mine that enriches lots of people, including the politicians themselves.
Over GH₵100 million are lost annually through ghost names into people’s pockets. Such monies are often not recovered, and the exercise becomes wasteful. Besides, it’s often about cleaning the data system or identifying the total number of ghost names. Here, the number of ghost names has been identified, and the next option is to clean and prosecute where necessary. And prosecution without the recovery of stolen funds is more wasteful than ever. This time, the outcomes after the investigation should be measurable to reduce the number of ghost names adding to our fight on corruption.”
By: Rainbowradioonline.com/Ghanas
