Speaking on Accra-based Citi FM, Mr. Braimah said the decision was not surprising, given recent challenges at the Authority.

“I think it is not surprising considering the issues that were unfolding,” he remarked. “Any leader determined to pursue meaningful reforms at the NSS would likely have taken the same step.”

Mr. Gyamfi, who was appointed in January 2025, was reassigned on Monday to the Ministry of Finance.

The move has sparked debate in public service circles due to its abrupt nature and timing, which comes just before the annual posting of new service personnel.

Reports indicate that the reassignment followed a policy clash between Mr. Gyamfi and the Minister of Youth Development, George Opare Addo, over the Authority’s digital deployment platform.

An audit of the system revealed loopholes that allowed financial losses through the inclusion of non-existent names on the payroll.

Mr. Braimah criticised the outgoing Director-General for attempting to maintain and upgrade the troubled platform despite the audit findings.

“I couldn’t understand why there was an attempt to defend that digital system when it was clearly linked to the losses. His determination to protect it was simply indefensible,” he added.

Source: Adomonline

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This warning comes after over 3,500 graduates from 22 unaccredited tertiary institutions were disqualified from participating in the 2025/2026 national service programme. According to the NSA, these institutions do not have valid accreditation from GTEC.

Speaking in an interview with Adom News, Mr. Gyamfi stressed that national service is strictly reserved for graduates of recognised and accredited institutions.

“We are not against any institution,” he said. “But the right thing must be done. If your school is not accredited by GTEC, there is no way you will be allowed to undertake national service.”

He clarified that the NSA is only enforcing existing policies and not introducing any new regulations.

“This is not something new we are implementing. This is how it has always been. We are only ensuring that the law is followed,” he explained.

Mr. Gyamfi also raised concerns about the growing number of institutions operating without proper authorisation.

“Some institutions just wake up and start operating without going through the proper accreditation process,” he stated. “Not every tertiary institution can just start a course or issue certificates without the approval of GTEC and other relevant bodies.”

He urged students and parents to verify the accreditation status of institutions with GTEC before enrolling, and encouraged school proprietors to comply with regulatory procedures when establishing and running tertiary institutions.

“We’re calling on school owners to follow the right processes. This crackdown is not just to enforce compliance but also to ensure quality and protect students’ futures,” he added.

The NSA’s move forms part of a broader effort to sanitise the education sector and safeguard the integrity of Ghana’s national service system.

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Director General, Felix Gyamfi, says a series of meetings with the Finance Ministry will likely result in an upward review of allowances in the national budget.

“There is a window for us to include it in the budget very soon. What I am certain about is that the new cohorts will most likely receive the new allowances,” he stated.

He made this known at a Pre-Service Orientation ahead of the upcoming service year in Kumasi.

The National Service Authority has released PIN codes for 132,393 prospective national service personnel, a figure lower than the numbers recorded over the past three years.

For the upcoming service year, the expected enrolment stands at 132,393—representing a 26% drop compared to the figures from the previous three years.

When compared to the 2022/2023 service year, which saw the highest enrolment over the past three years, this represents a 36% reduction.

About 3,597 submissions from 22 institutions were not processed, as the Ghana Tertiary Education Commission identified these institutions as unaccredited.

According to the NSA, stricter validation protocols and increased transparency have helped eliminate inflated or fraudulent submissions.

Director General Felix Gyamfi believes the reduced enrolment numbers will help the government save costs and improve remuneration for the personnel who will be enrolled.

“If we do a calculation of seven hundred and fifty cedis against the number being saved, you’ll immediately see the difference in cost savings,” he explained.

The Authority is also encouraging Small and Medium-Scale Enterprises (SMEs) to absorb service personnel to increase youth interest in the sector.

According to Mr. Gyamfi, SMEs are key to economic development and must be supported in training service personnel.

“If you are a one-man business and we assess your operations and find that what you do is tangible, we can post people there.

“Why are national service personnel not posted to Abossey Okai, Kokompe, and Suame Magazine? These places hold billions in value—many of the businesses there that deal in car parts are larger than some IT firms in terms of capital,” he observed.

The Director General also indicated that 10,000 personnel will be posted for military training, with the final decision to be made by the Secretariat.

According to him, a course outline has already been drawn up, focusing on discipline, alertness, and emergency response.

He encouraged young people to embrace the opportunities being made available by the Authority.

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He declared that without a Ghana Card or accreditation from the Ghana Tertiary Education Commission (GTEC), no graduate will be allowed to undertake national service.

Speaking in an exclusive interview on Joy FM’s GhanaConnect, Mr. Gyamfi said the new measures are not just policy tweaks but a firm commitment to ending the longstanding problem of payroll fraud, which has plagued the National Service Scheme for years.

“If you don’t have a Ghana Card, you are not allowed to do national service,” he stated. “The Ghana Card is a high-level form of identification that bars those with questionable identities from entering the system.”

President John Mahama, on February 12, 2025, directed the National Investigations Bureau (NIB) to immediately conduct an investigation into the operations of the National Service Authority (NSA) following the discovery of 81,885 suspected ghost names on its payroll.

The directive was issued after the Finance Ministry identified discrepancies during a headcount of active National Service personnel, conducted as a prerequisite for clearing allowance arrears dating back to August 2024.

The Acting Director of the Authority said it is also tightening eligibility criteria to ensure that only graduates from properly accredited institutions are enlisted.

“If you are from a school that is not properly accredited by GTEC, you should not be doing national service. These are institutions of questionable character,” he emphasised.

According to him, many of these safeguards have existed in the system but were simply ignored in the past due to poor leadership and a lack of will to enforce them.

Other measures outlined include:

• Mandatory biometric validation: Service personnel must physically present themselves at NSA offices monthly to be validated using biometric systems before salaries are processed.

• Strict age and registration compliance: Anyone who exceeds the service age limit or bypasses the formal registration process will be automatically disqualified.

• Live verification protocols: Personnel will not be placed on the payroll unless they are physically verified and validated by NSA officers.

The Director-General of the National Service Authority (NSA), Felix Gyamfi, disclosed this in an interview on Adom FM’s Dwaso Nsem.

Mr. Gyamfi stated that the suspects collected no less than GH₵1,500, claiming they could post the unsuspecting victims to their preferred institutions.

“Some people who have made up their minds to extort money to post people to the Bank Hospital, Korle-Bu, among others, are currently with the BNI. Some people have turned the postings into a business. We may be restricted from publishing their photos, but I will deal with this matter,” he stated.

Stressing his commitment to lead with character and leave a blemish-free legacy, Mr. Gyamfi vowed he would not allow anyone to create problems for him.

He noted that it is important for leaders to demonstrate distinct qualities to curb insubordination and corrupt practices.

“Most of our problems are leadership-related because if the leader doesn’t create the right impression or engage in corrupt practices, how will the followers do that? I am working with you, so why would you create problems for me?” he questioned.

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His assurance follows President John Dramani Mahama’s directive to the National Investigations Bureau (NIB) to launch an immediate probe into the operations of the NSS.

This comes after a recent headcount uncovered 81,885 suspected ghost names on the scheme’s payroll under the previous administration.

The audit, which was requested by the Minister of Finance as part of efforts to clear outstanding allowances, revealed that only 98,145 National Service personnel were actively serving, despite the former NSA management presenting 180,030 names for payment.

As a result, the Ministry of Finance has released GHS 226,019,224 to cover allowance arrears for verified personnel.

Speaking on Asempa FM’s Ekosii Sen show, Mr. Gyamfi stressed his commitment to ensuring accountability and transparency in the scheme.

“We have to begin to do the right things. I won’t take anything for granted. You won’t hear of ghost names under my watch and under John Mahama’s watch” he stated.

He emphasized that his priority is ensuring that National Service personnel receive their due allowances without any irregularities.

“People are still working, and we must make sure the work progresses steadily. No one will misbehave while I am here. I will do things the right way and be accountable so that people know the scheme has no issues,” he added.

Mr. Gyamfi reaffirmed his dedication to restoring public confidence in the NSS, vowing that ghost names and other irregularities will not be tolerated.

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According to him, a borehole drilling machine that went missing months ago at Anyinam in the Eastern Region under the former management was recently found in Swedru in the Central Region.

Speaking in an interview on Asempa FM’s Ekosii Sen, Mr. Gyamfi stated that the missing borehole machine is not an isolated case, as several other machines, including tractors and combine harvesters, remain unaccounted for.

He explained that these machines were meant to support work on NSA farms and enhance productivity but have been mismanaged over the years.

“When I took over the scheme on January 23, borehole machines that were supposed to be available were nowhere to be found. These machines have been in operation for years, yet no one could account for the revenue generated from them,” he disclosed.

“After two weeks, we uncovered a borehole drilling machine that went missing in Anyinam, now found in Swedru. It is currently in police custody,” he added.

Beyond this, Mr. Gyamfi revealed that the NSA also purchased a faulty payloader, which has been abandoned on their farms at Ejura.

“There is a lot of work to be done. I am even unsure whether to have the machine transported or leave it there. The challenges are overwhelming,” he lamented.

Despite these setbacks, he assured the public of his commitment to reforming the NSA and positioning it as a world-class institution by the end of his tenure.

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Speaking on Joy FM’s PM Express on Wednesday, February 12, he stated that his legacy will be defined by stringent auditing systems, standardized operating procedures, and an unshakable payroll system.

“By the time I leave, I want to be remembered for setting up a very stringent auditing system, standard operating procedures, and then instituting a robust payroll system. That’s if you were to come 10 years later, 20 years later, you would dare not touch it,” he declared.

For him, a well-structured payroll and auditing system is a foundational pillar to ensure efficiency, transparency, and sustainability. He envisions a future where service personnel receive timely payments without delays, fostering trust in the system.

Beyond structural reforms, Mr. Gyamfi urged Ghanaians to pay close attention to upcoming projects aimed at youth development, aligning with the President’s vision.

“I would want you to pay attention to the National Service Authority in the months to come, as we roll out a series of projects and schemes around the country to give real meaning to the President’s agenda for youth development,” he stated.

Addressing concerns over personnel preferences for urban placements, he revealed plans to achieve a 50% deployment parity between the private and public sectors. He believes strategic placements, including in rural areas, will significantly contribute to national development.

“We would be sending service persons to institutions where we feel their service will be felt the most. If it happens to be rural areas, that will be good, because we have to do something about the outcome of results in the Free SHS, which has become a question of intention,” he explained.

Mr. Gyamfi also emphasized national service as an opportunity for young Ghanaians to discover the country beyond major cities.

“People should get to know this country. We should encourage people to see other parts of this country so the idea behind national service is rightly achieved. The Tamale or Damongo people spoke about 10 or 12 years ago is not the same place. If you go to Savelugu today, it has changed completely,” he noted.

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Mr. Gyamfi’s appointment was announced in a letter signed by Callistus Mahama, Secretary to President John Dramani Mahama.

The appointment was made under Article 195(1) of the Constitution and the National Service Authority Act, 2024 (Act 1119).

However, it is subject to the constitutionally required advice of the governing Board of the Authority, to be provided in consultation with the Public Services Commission.

Mr. Gyamfi has been requested to confirm his acceptance of the role within 14 days.

The Authority plays a vital role in preparing Ghanaian youth for national development, equipping them with the skills necessary for the job market, and empowering them through service to the nation.

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