President John Dramani Mahama has directed that key actors involved in the National Service Authority (NSA) ghost names scandal be declared wanted, with their assets traced and frozen until investigations are concluded.

Delivering his maiden State of the Nation Address in Parliament on Thursday, February 27, 2025, President Mahama revealed that at some point, over 80,000 ghost names were fraudulently added to the payroll, potentially siphoning more than GHS 50 million per month.

He further disclosed that some suspects are believed to have fled the country to evade prosecution.

In a bid to strengthen the governance of the National Service Scheme, the President has also directed the Minister for Youth Development and Empowerment to coordinate the drafting of a Legislative Instrument (LI) to support the implementation of the National Service Authority Act 2024 (Act 1119).

This move, according to Mahama, will ensure a legally robust framework for managing the National Service Scheme, preventing future financial malfeasance