Investigations have uncovered that a former Deputy Executive Director of the National Service Authority (NSA), Gifty Oware-Mensah, allegedly used ghost names to secure a loan of over GH¢31 million from the Agricultural Development Bank (ADB).
According to investigators, the National Intelligence Bureau (NIB) began probing the case in February 2025 after receiving reports of corruption, ghost names, and money laundering involving some staff of the NSA.
The NSA, which operates under the Ministry of Education, was established to deploy graduates to various sectors for national service.
As part of its operations, the Authority created an online platform called the Marketplace to help service personnel buy goods on hire-purchase or access loans, which were to be deducted from their monthly allowances.
Investigators explained that as Deputy Executive Director, Oware-Mensah was responsible for supervising finance, audit, and procurement at the NSA.
She also had the power to approve vendors who offered goods and services on the Marketplace platform.
Between February 2022 and March 2024, Oware-Mensah reportedly approached ADB, claiming that her private company, Blocks of Life Consult Limited, had signed an agreement with the NSA to supply goods to national service personnel. She requested a loan of GH¢78 million to support the business.
The investigations showed that Blocks of Life Consult, which was registered in 2016 and originally owned by Paul Boateng, had been taken over by Oware-Mensah.
She allegedly made her mother’s driver, George Annan, one of the company’s directors to conceal her involvement.
In a letter to ADB dated October 14, 2022, she presented a list of about 9,934 names from the NSA’s database and claimed that her company had supplied goods to them.
She told the bank that the allowances of those personnel would serve as collateral for the loan.
The bank, however, refused to approve the full amount of GH¢78 million, explaining that it would require the complete deduction of the personnel’s allowances.
ADB later agreed to a reduced loan of GH¢31.5 million with an interest of GH¢6.9 million, to be paid over 11 months through monthly deductions.
Investigators revealed that an escrow account was created at ADB under the name NSA Hire Purchase to hold the funds.
The entire amount was later transferred, on Oware-Mensah’s instructions, into the account of Blocks of Life Consult.
The NIB’s findings form part of a wider investigation into alleged corruption and financial mismanagement within the National Service Authority.
By: Jacob Aggrey
