Former National Service Authority (NSA) heads Mustapha Ussif and Osei Asibey Antwi have fiercely rejected allegations of fraud leveled against them by The Fourth Estate, accusing the investigative outfit of publishing a misleading and sensationalized report.
In a strongly worded joint statement, the former NSA directors dismissed claims that they padded the national service personnel list to siphon funds, insisting that the discrepancies cited in the report stem from a lack of understanding of NSA’s enrollment process.
“The claim by The Fourth Estate is therefore without any basis, which fact would have been apparent to them had they exercised any diligence in their purported investigations,” the statement asserted.
They further criticized the media outlet for failing to verify figures with Ghana Interbank Payment and Settlement Systems (GhIPSS), the body responsible for processing allowances, before releasing their damning report.
“It is shocking that, considering the standing of The Fourth Estate as a media outlet, they would rely on these entry data without ascertaining from GhIPSS the actual number of personnel paid per year,” they said.
Slamming the investigation as a deliberate attempt to tarnish their reputation, they argued that the publication “betrays the malicious intent of The Fourth Estate, as merely calculated to hurriedly publish a sensational story to smear former officers, rather than diligently establish the facts as expected of a decent media house.”
As calls for accountability grow, the former-directors have welcomed President Mahama’s directive for an official investigation, expressing confidence that a proper probe will expose the inaccuracies in The Fourth Estate’s report.
