Former NSA deputy director in hot waters over alleged GH¢31 million ‘ghosts’ loan fraud, NIB shocked:

A former Deputy Executive Director of the National Service Authority (NSA), Gifty Oware-Mensah, is under investigation for allegedly securing a loan of over GH¢31 million from the Agricultural Development Bank (ADB) through the use of “ghost names” on the NSA’s database.
The National Intelligence Bureau (NIB) launched the probe in February 2025 following reports of corruption, ghost names, and money laundering involving staff at the NSA, which operates under the Ministry of Education.
According to investigators, Oware-Mensah, who was responsible for overseeing finance, audit, and procurement at the NSA, allegedly exploited the Authority’s online Marketplace platform to facilitate the fraudulent loan. The Marketplace was designed to allow service personnel to purchase goods on hire-purchase or access loans, with repayments deducted from their monthly allowances.
Between February 2022 and March 2024, Oware-Mensah reportedly approached ADB, claiming that her private company, Blocks of Life Consult Limited, had an agreement with the NSA to supply goods to national service personnel. She requested a loan of GH¢78 million to support the business venture.
The investigation revealed that Blocks of Life Consult, originally owned by Paul Boateng and registered in 2016, had been taken over by Oware-Mensah. Allegedly, she 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, Oware-Mensah presented a list of approximately 9,934 names from the NSA’s database, falsely claiming her company had supplied goods to these individuals. She proposed using the allowances of these personnel as collateral for the loan.
While ADB initially declined the full loan amount of GH¢78 million, the bank eventually approved a reduced loan of GH¢31.5 million, with an interest of GH¢6.9 million, to be repaid over 11 months through monthly deductions.
Investigators discovered that an escrow account was established at ADB under the name “NSA Hire Purchase” to hold the loan funds. However, the entire amount was subsequently transferred, under Oware- Mensah’s instructions, into the account of Blocks of Life Consult.
The NIB’s findings are part of a broader investigation into alleged corruption and financial mismanagement within the National Service Authority. The investigation is ongoing.