EX-NSS Boss Glues His Mouth

Credible information picked up from corridors of the Bureau of National Investigation (BNI), has it that, the ousted Executive Director of the National Service Scheme (NSS), Alhaji Imoro Alhassan, has declined to speak to issues over his arrest by the investigative body. The ex-NSS boss, is required to speak to accusations by several regional and district directors that he (Alhaji Alhassan), instructed them to steal monies, belonging to the Scheme, which he headed. They are said to have appeared before the BNI last Friday and given vivid accounts and information as to how the whole cabal operates. The directors, who are mainly from the Ashanti, Brong Ahafo, and Western Regions, are said to have readily provided useful information to the BNI, one of them said that they dabbled in the act solely, because their boss in Accra, Alhaji Alhassan, ordered them to do so. But the ex-NSS Boss, who is still in the BNI cells, after he was remanded on Monday, for continual gathering of information, is not cooperating with the Authorities. Alhaji Alhassan, who has worked with the scheme for so many years and served as a deputy director until his appointment last year, by President John Dramani Mahama, has refused to admit or refute the many accusations leveled against him by his subordinates. The Herald�s information from insiders is that the massive looting of cash from the NSS coffers, has existed for decades with all Executive Director of the Scheme, profiting from the massive loot. Insiders say, the illegality predates ex- President John Kufuor, John Mills and John Mahama administrations, but these regimes, including the various Boards, failed to deal with the issue even though some former members have admitted the rot existed during their times. Further information coming out shows that funds that were paid over the years by the Controller and Accountant General Department, went straight into the private accounts of these Regional and District officers, who apart from releasing some of these funds for the payment of personnel, pocketed the rest of the monies meant for operational works. Sources say, when the current Minister Of Finance, Seth Terkper, took over from his former boss, Dr. Kwabena Duffour, he was alarmed about the amount of money allocated to the NSS. He, therefore, directed the Controller to vet the amount, but nothing came out of it. It is an open secret that officers, who in the past or are still working at the Scheme at the various levels, especially at the Headquarters in Accra, own plush houses, bought expensive vehicles, hotels and many other properties from monies profited from the scheme. One of such persons, whose name has been mentioned, is one Gloria in-charge of Audit, who was also arrested with Alhaji Alhassan. She is said to have built expensive houses with monies she amassed from the Scheme�s cunning operations. It is for these reasons that some concerned Ghanaians thought that immediately these officials were arrested, their properties, should have been seized, pending clearance from the investigative body, the BNI. Questions are also being asked, as to why the NSS which is now headed by Dr Michael Kpesah White in acting capacity, still has it Board intact, pretending not to have known the existence of the deep rooted canker in the Scheme. Indeed, the Board with it Chairperson, Mrs. Gifty Biyira Mahama, which took over the running of the Scheme after the sacking of Alhaji Alhassan, acted as though it did not know anything about the rot in the Scheme, as they issued all manner of directives, absorbing themselves from the mess. Indeed, a letter signed by Mrs. Mahama and the Director of Human Resource, Winifred A Hushie, to the Controller and Accountant General Department headed, �Change of Signature to National Service Account� and dated October 7, 2014, has popped up. The letter issued from the Headquarters of the NSS in Accra, requested the Controller to inform the director, Banking Division of Bank of Ghana (BoG), of the change in signature of the National Service Scheme Account, following the removal of Alhaji Alhassan. It reads that �Mrs. Gifty Bayira Mahama, the Board Chairman, should become the principal signatory to the Scheme�s account�. Mrs. Gifty Bayira Mahama, was once Executive Director of the NSS. The letter which was rejected by the Controller is published below.