Former President of the National Service Personnel Association in Ashanti Region, Kwame Owusu Bampoe, has described as ‘unfortunate’ the prosecution of vendors in the alleged National Service Authority scandal.
According to him, the existing contracts were awarded by the personnel association in the interest of personnel, maintaining that the Authority had no hand in such contracts.
In a press statement, the former President indicated, “NASPA, through its leadership structures, facilitates agreements with vendors to enable service personnel to access essential items such as mattresses, electronic appliances, mobile phones, and in some cases, emergency credit facilities.
“These arrangements are typically structured with clear repayment terms, deducted from the monthly allowances of personnel. This system has, for years, provided needed relief and basic necessities for NSPs, many of whom are posted to unfamiliar locations with limited initial support.”
The statement comes after the Office of the Attorney-General and Ministry of Justice announced the intention to prosecute 12 former directors and staff of the National Service Authority for allegedly siphoning over GH¢548 million through the inflation of budgets and creating ghost names on the payroll of the National Service Scheme (NSS).
At a news conference, the Attorney-General and Minister of Justice, Dr Dominic Ayine, alleged that the top officials and staff of the NSA exploited nine vendors to misappropriate state funds for their personal gain.
In the press statement, the former NASPA President insisted vendors are in no position to validate data on personnel submitted for their service.
“Vendors who participate in these schemes do so based on mutual trust and in good faith. They are not equipped with the means to independently verify backend personnel data or validate internal NSA payment authorizations,” he stated.
The statement further indicated, “To now cast vendors — many of whom are long-standing service providers with track records of integrity — as participants in a ‘criminal enterprise’ is both unfortunate and potentially damaging to livelihoods and reputations that have been built over time.”
Meanwhile, the statement further encouraged the Attorney General and Minister of Justice to prosecute persons believed to have siphoned money from the state.
Enock Akonnor is a seasoned Ghanaian journalist, serving as CEO and Managing Editor for www.leakyghana.com. His gravitas, which is mirrored by many years of proven and enviable experience in the field of journalism has positioned him among the most sort after media practitioners in Ghana.
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