OSP Uncovers Deep-Rooted Corruption in Ghana Education Service: Ghost Schools, Fake Appointments, and Stolen Salaries

The Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) has unveiled a disturbing network of corruption deeply embedded within the Ghana Education Service (GES), revealing the existence of non-existent schools, forged appointment letters, and a web of ghost workers siphoning public funds under the guise of legitimate salaries.

The revelations came to light during the West Africa Regional Anti-Corruption Policy Dialogue held in Accra on Monday, June 2. Speaking at the high-level event, Special Prosecutor Mr. Kissi Agyebeng exposed widespread fraudulent practices that he described as a direct threat to the integrity of Ghana’s public institutions.

“In the education sector, we’re discovering disturbing schemes where individuals are drawing salaries for schools that exist only on paper,” Mr. Agyebeng disclosed. “There are also widespread instances of people moving around with forged appointment letters bearing the Director-General’s signature, collecting money in exchange for fake postings.”

The address, delivered in the presence of senior public service officials including GES Director-General Professor Ernest Kofi Davis and Ghana Health Service Director-General Professor Samuel Kaba, laid bare the scale of systemic abuse eating away at public confidence and draining national resources.

Forged Signatures and Fake Postings

The OSP’s findings suggest an organized system where even senior officials risk being unknowingly implicated.

“If this hasn’t happened to you yet, it may soon,” Mr. Agyebeng warned, referencing forged appointment letters carrying the signature of the GES Director-General. “I regret having to mention this publicly before notifying you privately.”

Adding to the gravity of the situation, the Special Prosecutor revealed a curious phenomenon of “health teachers” — individuals within the education system who had been validating ghost names for salary payments, sometimes in collusion with healthcare institutions.

Court Convictions and Financial Losses

The OSP’s anti-corruption efforts have already led to tangible results. A recent case in the High Court in Tamale saw six individuals plead guilty in a plea bargain that enabled the state to recover GH₵106,000. However, Mr. Agyebeng emphasized that the financial recoupment is just one part of a much larger problem.

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“The bigger issue is how corruption is saturating our systems, leaving the entire country vulnerable to abuse from within,” he stated.

Background: A Costly Payroll Fraud

The roots of the scandal trace back to a joint investigation between the OSP and the Controller and Accountant General’s Department (CAGD), which uncovered a staggering GH₵2.85 million in wrongful salary payments to ghost workers — individuals who were deceased, retired, untraceable, or simply never employed.

Among the most egregious findings was a fictitious school in the Kumbungu District, complete with a full staff list drawing monthly salaries, despite the school never existing in any official registry.

The scale of the rot prompted a major payroll audit, resulting in the cleanup of thousands of fraudulent entries. As a result, the state saved an estimated GH₵34.2 million during the 2024 financial year.

Call for Reform and Vigilance

The latest revelations have sparked widespread calls for systemic reform, particularly in high-risk sectors such as education and healthcare. With public trust in institutions at stake, stakeholders are urging the government to invest in digital payroll validation systems, biometric authentication, and stronger inter-agency collaboration.

“This is a national emergency. We cannot allow public payroll to become a feeding ground for fraudsters,” said a civil society leader attending the dialogue.

As the investigation deepens, the OSP has pledged to hold all complicit parties accountable and has called on public officials to assist in rooting out corruption from within their ranks.

In the words of the Special Prosecutor: “It is time to stop pretending. Corruption is no longer hidden — it’s operational, systemic, and costing the nation dearly. We must confront it head-on.”

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