MFWA petitions OSP to probe NSA over posting of over-aged individuals for national service

The Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA) has petitioned the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) to investigate the National Service Authority (NSA) formerly the National Service Scheme (NSS) over alleged corruption.

The petition comes after The Fourth Estate in its investigation said it has uncovered what it describes as a pattern of corruption and mismanagement at the NSA, reportedly costing the state millions of cedis annually since 2018.

The petition dated December 4, 2024, highlights various alleged corruption-related practices within the NSA that include the creation and use of thousands of fake student index numbers attributed to supposed graduates from tertiary institutions.

The petition also draws attention to significant discrepancies between the number of personnel eligible for deployment, as announced by the NSA to the public, and the figures presented to Parliament.

Other allegations outlined in the Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA) petition involve the enrolment and posting of over-aged individuals and the use of ineligible or fake identification cards to facilitate enrolments.

Meanwhile, the management of the National Service Authority (NSA) has secured a 10-day injunction to prevent The Fourth Estate from publishing a series of investigative stories scheduled for December 3, 2024.

“IT IS HEREBY ORDERED that, the Defendant/Respondents, its privies, servants, agents, assigns and interested parties are hereby restrained from putting out any purported investigative report concerning the Plaintiff/Applicant and its staff until their side of the subject matter of the investigations is heard and included in the said report,” the injunction document stated.

The injunction follows The Fourth Estate’s announcement on Friday, November 29, 2024, that it would publish a series of investigative reports on the National Service Authority (NSA) previously the National Service Scheme (NSS).

However, the management of the National Service Authority (NSA) filed an injunction application today, December 2, and secured a court order on the blind side of The Fourth Estate to prevent the publication this week.