By Ashiadey Dotse
Legal practitioner and member of NDC legal team Nii Kpakpo Samoa Addo Esq. has called for a complete institutional overhaul of the National Service Scheme (NSS) following the recent scandal that has rocked the agency.
Speaking on GTV’s Current Agenda show on Saturday October 18, 2025, Mr. Addo said the continuous reoccurrence of corruption scandals at the NSS across different governments shows deep structural weaknesses that must be addressed urgently.
“The National Service Scheme needs a complete institutional overhaul. We must revamp it and put in proper governance strategies,” he said.
He noted that similar scandals occurred during previous administrations but the difference was in how the government responded. According to him, the first John Mahama administration set a good example by allowing national security to investigate, prosecuting officials, and ensuring that money was recovered from those involved.
However, he expressed concern that in later cases, the government failed to take immediate action to stop the losses.“Government is a continuum. When a scandal breaks, what is the immediate reaction? That is where we have a problem,” he stated.
Mr. Addo praised journalists for their role in exposing corruption, especially in the current NSS case, and condemned attempts by state institutions to block such investigations through court injunctions.
“We should never have a situation where those who commit wrongdoing take journalists to court to stop them from exposing the truth,” he said.
He also commended the current NSS Executive Director for moving away from the old operational platform, which had been linked to past corrupt practices, and for introducing new systems aimed at transparency.
Mr. Addo urged government to review the National Service Act and its entire institutional framework to prevent future financial losses to the state. “We need to look at the Act and reform the structure of the Scheme so that these issues do not repeat themselves,” he concluded.
