Prez. Mahama ordered BNI to investigate NSS

• Posted on October 7, 2014October 7, 2014
• by Nana Kwesi Coomson
• Comment

It has emerged that the President, John Mahama, ordered the Bureau of National Investigations (BNI) to investigate the operations of the National Service Secretariat (NSS).

This is according to a member of the Governing Board of the NSS, Isaac Annan Riverson, who disclosed that “the President thought in his wisdom that the BNI was better placed in terms of facilities to carry out better investigations and come out with a better report.”

The Executive Director of the NSS, Alhaji Alhassan Imoro and 23 others have been ordered to step aside after investigations revealed they had embezzled GHC 7.9 million through the payment of allowances to about 20,000 non-existent service personnel.

Since the news broke in the media, calls have increased for the Board of the NSS to be dissolved by the President for failing in their oversight responsibilities.

But Riverson on Eyewitness News said the calls are misplaced, insisting that, the board members are not liable.

He said the board was inaugurated in December 9, 2013 and by September 2013, “these postings had taken place and the national service persons had started their work.”

Riverson narrated that when the board took over, they initiated internal investigations following allegations of embezzlement and misappropriation of funds against some NSS officials.

But the severity of the findings, according to him, prompted the President to involve the BNI to carry out a comprehensive investigation.

“So we joined hands and we welcomed the investigations and then we were awaiting further reports from the BNI,” he said.

He said: “There were sufficient members from the past board who knew enough about what was going on.”

The report was initially intended to be submitted to the Education Minister and also, for the attention of the President, but it was later handed over to the current board for further action to be taken on it.

Bring Evidence

Riverson is thus challenging any individual or group which has evidence of the board’s involvement in the corruption scandal to submit it to the BNI.

“If he has any evidence that any board member who profited from this scandal in anyway, let them come out and say it!” he fumed.

He bemoaned the prevailing practice where unsubstantiated allegations are made in the media saying, “what is the crime of the board? People should not just come on air without any basis and try to tarnish the image of the people.”

By: Efua Idan Osam