The Ghana National Service Authority (NSA) has issued a stern warning to employers about sanctions for hiring staff without valid National Service certificates. Deputy Director General Lieutenant Colonel Moses Dok Nach Kpeungu stressed that recruiting employees who have not completed the mandatory national service is a punishable offense under Ghanaian law, underscoring the importance of verifying certificates before employment, as reported by MyJoyOnline.
The NSA has intensified efforts to enforce compliance and prevent illegal employment practices by launching a nationwide awareness campaign targeting both employers and graduates. Lt Col Kpeungu highlighted that the authority prefers education over prosecution and is actively engaging with relevant institutions to regularize the employment status of individuals hired without proper certification, according to MyJoyOnline.
In parallel, the NSA has achieved significant cost savings by eliminating ghost names on its payroll through stricter multi-tier verification processes. This reform reduced payroll expenditures from about GH₵1.7 billion to GH₵700 million last year without decreasing personnel numbers, with nearly 99,500 service members deployed nationwide, MyJoyOnline details.
Despite rising graduate numbers, the NSA confirmed it has no legal power to limit enrollments in the compulsory national service program, which currently processes over 100,000 graduates annually. The reforms are focused on improving the program’s efficiency and accountability without capping the intake, MyJoyOnline reports.
Going forward, the NSA's priority remains enforcing compliance through education, enhanced verification, and collaboration with employers and institutions to ensure that no staff are hired without the mandated national service certificate. The outcome of these measures will be crucial in curbing illegal employment and maintaining the integrity of the national service scheme in Ghana.
Moses Dok Nach Kpeungu
National Service Authority
Joy FM
Ghana
