Mustapha Ussif, ex-Minister of Sports, rejected accusations of wrongdoing during his tenure as Executive Director of the National Service Secretariat (NSS) between 2017 and 2021.
He signalled his readiness to fight and clear his name in the GH¢548 million fraud case, insisting he is innocent.
The Attorney General, Dominic Ayine, on Friday, June 13, 2025, named Mustapha Ussif, among 12 people implicated in the scandal at the NSS, adding that the suspects will be prosecuted soon.
He revealed that a criminal network which operated within the National Service Authority (NSA) in the last eight years led to a loss of more than GH¢548 million through the fraudulent inclusion of ghost names on the national payroll.
Dr Ayine, during which he outlined progress on the government’s ongoing anti-corruption campaign under the Operation Recover All Loot (ORAL) initiative.
His comments followed President John Dramani Mahama’s directive to the National Investigations Bureau (NIB) to investigate irregularities at the NSA. This came after more than 8,000 ghost names were identified on the Authority’s payroll system.
According to Dr Ayine, preliminary investigations have established that the fraudulent scheme was orchestrated by individuals who held positions of authority during the Akufo-Addo administration. He described the scandal as a “criminal enterprise” involving senior executives, directors, NSA staff, and external service providers.
“In total, as stated, we lost about GH¢548,333,542.65 to the criminal enterprise perpetrated by these executives, directors, and staff, as well as service providers in the market”.
He further elaborated on the method used to siphon state funds, saying: “The criminal enterprise that resulted in this colossal financial loss involved the creation of ghost names within the NSA payroll system by some directors and staff, which was subsequently exploited to divert public funds for personal gain”.
The investigation is still ongoing, and the Attorney General’s office has pledged to ensure that all individuals found culpable are prosecuted in accordance with the law.
But in a reply, Mustapha Ussif, currently the Member of Parliament for Yagaba Kubore Constituency, said he is innocent and ready to tell his version of the story, noting that he served in public life with “diligence and honesty.”
“I wish to state that I am ready, willing, and able to account for my stewardship at the National Service Scheme (NSS) from February 2017 to January 6, 2021.
“Consequently, I welcome any opportunity to do so, including but not limited to having my day in a Court of competent jurisdiction”, he issued an official statement.
The Attorney General and Minister for Justice, also disclosed a sophisticated fraud scheme allegedly led by Gifty Oware-Mensah, involving the misuse of NSS allowances to secure a loan.
Dr Ayine said investigations into the scandal have been completed, and legal proceedings are set to begin.
He revealed, “Our investigations disclose that several ghost names were deliberately added to the lists submitted to vendors, falsely representing the number of service personnel”.
He explained that after vendors received inflated payments from these ghost names, certain NSS officials approached them to retrieve the excess funds:
“When these vendors eventually received the payment, their directors and staff would then contact the vendors whose accounts had received payment, meet them, and collect the additional money that had been added to the vendor’s payment.”
Dr Ayine further disclosed: “For instance, we have conclusively established that after collecting these funds, some of the suspects, such as Gaise Nyarko and Oteng, handed them over to suspect Osei Asibey Antwi in cash, and on some occasions deposited the cash into his bank account.”
He outlined a broader fraudulent scheme allegedly masterminded by Gifty Oware-Mensah, a former Deputy Executive Director of the NSA.
According to the Attorney General, “Some directors such as Gifty Oware-Mensah created and executed a meticulously detailed plan using NSS allowances as security to obtain a loan of about 30,698,218.69 from ADB, at an interest rate of 23 per cent.”
Dr Ayine said Mrs. Oware-Mensah fraudulently registered a company named Blocks of Life Consult using other people’s information without their knowledge or permission:
“She achieved this result by using other people’s information to register a company called Blocks of Life Consult without their knowledge or permission.”
He added that she introduced the company to ADB through Akwasi Ofori Mintah, and involved her husband, Mr Peter Mensah, a lawyer, as a representative of the company:
“She presented Blocks of Life Consult through the person of Akwasi Ofori Mintah to an official of ADB, and enlisted her husband, Mr Peter Mensah, a lawyer, to act as one of the directors or representatives of the said company.”
Oware-Mensah is said to have informed ADB that the company specialised in supplying home appliances to service personnel and proposed a repayment model through salary deductions:
“She told ADB that the company specialised in supplying home appliances to National Service personnel and proposed that ADB finance the company to enable it to supply these items on a hire-purchase basis, with the NSS being responsible for handling deduction and repayment.”
Despite the arrangement, the Attorney General stated: “On the marketplace of the Authority, there was no indication that Blocks of Life was a registered vendor.”
Investigations revealed that within two service years, Oware-Mensah allegedly used 9,934 ghost names to misappropriate funds.
Dr Ayine confirmed: “Suspect Gifty Oware-Mensah used a total of 9,934 ghost names to misappropriate the aforementioned funds,” adding that ADB transferred the loan amount into the company’s account and then into four separate company accounts.
Dr Ayine, also revealed that an amount of GH¢8,256,000.00 was deposited into an E-zwich account registered in the name of another former NSA Director-General, Osei-Assibey Antwi, during the 2022/2023 service year.
According to him, investigations have shown that the former boss of the authority received the funds.
The AG, however, noted that the E-zwich card in question was discovered in his home during a search by the task force.
“In the 2022/2023 service year, a total of eight million, two hundred and fifty-six thousand Ghana Cedis (GH¢8,256,000.00) was deposited into EZWICH account number 1177042059, which is registered in the name of suspect Osei Assibey. Investigations showed that he personally received these funds. During a search at his residence, the aforementioned Ezwich card was found,” he revealed.
Read the full statement below:
STATEMENT BY MUSTAPHA USSIF, MEMBER OF PARLIAMENT (YAGABA-KUBORI) AND FORMER EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF NATIONAL SERVICE SCHEME (2017-2020)
The press conference of the Attorney-General held on 13th June 2025 has come to my attention and I wish to categorically deny any alleged wrongdoing.
That said, it is my fervent belief that once you hold public office, you should at all material times, and at whatever cost, be ready willing, and able to account for your stewardship. Therefore, I wish to state that I am ready, willing, and able to account for my stewardship at the National Service Scheme (NSS) from February 2017 to January 6, 2021.
Consequently, I welcome any opportunity to do so, including but not limited to having my day in a Court of competent jurisdiction.
I therefore urge all well-wishers, friends family, constituents, members of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) and the general public to be calm, knowing very well that I have, throughout my public life, served with diligence and honesty.
SIGNED
MUSTAPHA USSIF (MP)
