An explosive forensic audit of Ghana’s National Service Authority (NSA) has revealed that its former Director-General, Osei Assibey Antwi, was allegedly enrolled as a national service volunteer while serving as the institution’s head—receiving GH¢8.2 million in allowances over a 16-month period.
The audit report, obtained exclusively by The Fourth Estate, outlines what investigators describe as a “blatant abuse of office and payroll manipulation.” It states that Mr. Assibey Antwi, who assumed leadership of the NSA (then known as the National Service Secretariat) in 2021, was simultaneously registered as a volunteer service personnel for the 2022/2023 service year.
He was reportedly assigned an EZWICH card with account number 1177042059, and payroll data listed him as being posted to “Kumawu Farms,” a 200-acre state-backed agricultural project in the Ashanti Region. Yet records also show he was officially designated under the Greater Accra Region and was drawing a monthly allowance of GH¢516,000, far exceeding the standard GH¢715.57 stipend paid to regular service personnel.
Auditors noted that the monthly sum deposited into Mr. Assibey Antwi’s account could have covered allowances for more than 700 legitimate personnel. In total, GH¢8,256,000 was paid into the EZWICH account between 2022 and 2023.
The audit findings corroborate earlier revelations made by Ghana’s Attorney General and Minister of Justice, Dr. Dominic Ayine, during a June 13 address on the outcome of Operation Recover All Loot (ORAL)—a special task force created to trace and prosecute financial crimes within state agencies.
“In the 2022/2023 service year, a total of GH¢8,256,000 was deposited into EZWICH account number 1177042059, which is registered in the name of suspect Osei Assibey,” Dr. Ayine confirmed. “Investigations showed that he personally received these funds. The EZWICH card was recovered during a search of his residence.”
Background of Scandal
The revelations follow a year-long investigative report by The Fourth Estate, which in late 2024 uncovered widespread payroll fraud at the NSA, including the presence of thousands of “ghost names”—nonexistent service personnel whose identities were being used to siphon state funds.
Ahead of the publication of its findings, NSA officials attempted to block the report’s release by securing a court injunction—without notifying the investigative outlet. In response, the Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA), which oversees The Fourth Estate, filed formal petitions with the Office of the Special Prosecutor and the ORAL task force.
On June 13, Dr. Ayine publicly credited The Fourth Estate’s investigative journalism for laying the groundwork for the broader criminal probe.
“The now-famous National Service scandal, first uncovered by The Fourth Estate, formed a major foundation of our report,” he said. “My office is extremely grateful for their diligent and professional work.”
Authorities say prosecutions are imminent, as the full scale of alleged financial mismanagement at the NSA comes into clearer view. The broader investigation has so far identified over GH¢548 million in losses due to fraudulent activity within the institution.
