The National Service Authority (NSA) has announced that prospective graduates without a valid Ghana Card will not be permitted to register for national service, as part of efforts to eliminate ghost names from the system.
Addressing a press conference on Thursday, February 13, 2025, NSA Director General Felix Gyamfi stressed that the national identity card is now a mandatory requirement for all applicants.
“If you do not have a valid Ghana Card ID, you will not be allowed into our system. If you are a prospective graduate and do not have a valid Ghana Card to register, you will not be allowed to do national service,” he stated.
The move forms part of the NSA’s broader strategy to address payroll fraud, a longstanding issue that has seen unqualified or non-existent individuals receive payments under the scheme. Mr. Gyamfi criticised previous administrations for failing to implement effective measures to tackle the issue, describing it as a “leadership failure”.
“This was a leadership failure. The necessary checks that should have been in place to safeguard taxpayers’ money were ignored,” he remarked.
In addition to the Ghana Card directive, the NSA also raised concerns over the accreditation status of Colleges of Education across the country. According to Mr. Gyamfi, more than 20 colleges have expired accreditation from the Ghana Tertiary Education Commission (GTEC).
He urged affected institutions to rectify their accreditation status within the next week, warning that failure to do so would prevent their graduates from registering for national service.
“I am using this channel to reach out to the Colleges of Education. They should use the week ahead, including the grace of Friday, to ensure their accreditations are restored; otherwise, we will not allow their graduates to register,” he cautioned.
