Member of Parliament for Gomoa Central, Kwame Asare-Obeng, popularly known as A Plus has strongly denied any association with the alleged corruption scandal involving ghost names on the National Service Scheme (NSS) payroll.

Reacting to growing media attention and comments from the Attorney-General and Minister for Justice, Dr. Dominic Ayine, A Plus said in a Facebook post on May 3: “I have no knowledge of the matter and no connection to it whatsoever.”

He firmly added that he has “never received any payment from the NSS” and has no direct or indirect links to the institution.

His response follows a press briefing by Dr. Ayine, in which the Attorney-General announced plans to prosecute individuals involved in two major corruption cases—the Accra Sky Train project and the NSS ghost names scandal. Dr. Ayine challenged A Plus to come clean on his alleged involvement in the latter, sparking public interest and speculation.

According to recent findings by the National Service Authority, a staggering 81,885 names on the 2024 payroll could not be accounted for. While 98,145 active service personnel were verified, the previous NSS management had submitted a total of 180,030 names for allowance payments. Authorities suspect the difference may reflect widespread payroll fraud and a significant loss of public funds.

Despite the swirling controversy, A Plus insists his only involvement dates back to November 2024, when an individual approached him claiming to have been falsely accused in relation to the NSS scandal.

He said the man asked for help to speak publicly and clear his name. As a media personality and a stakeholder in a media firm, A Plus said he offered support to the man by helping him access media platforms.

“If this support is being misinterpreted as an attempt to suppress the case, I respectfully disagree,” he stated, emphasizing that giving someone the opportunity to speak does not amount to meddling in judicial processes.

He also pointed to his history of supporting people facing public trials, citing his previous defense of Minority Leader Cassiel Ato Forson, whom he believed was being unfairly treated.

“Everyone who has followed me closely knows that I will be there for you in times of despair,” he said.

In a separate clarification, A Plus disassociated himself from inflammatory posts circulating on social media accusing Dr. Ayine of corruption. He stated that the posts originated from a fraudulent X (formerly Twitter) account impersonating him.

“That claim is false and misleading. The statements currently in circulation originated from a fraudulent Twitter (X) account that is impersonating me,” he explained, noting that the account uses his image and has a verification badge but is not under his control.

He advised the public to disregard such content and rely only on his verified Facebook page for authentic information.

Addressing a previous Facebook post in which he had reacted harshly to the Attorney-General’s comments, A Plus admitted authorship and apologized for the tone, which he now views as inappropriate.

“I sincerely apologize to Hon. Dr. Ayine, the general public, the NDC party, and Parliament,” he wrote, adding that he had since deleted the post out of respect.

Ending his statement, A Plus reaffirmed his commitment to transparency and urged political leaders to focus on national interest over personal conflict.

“Let us move forward in unity and sincerity, with the national interest and the welfare of the Ghanaian people as our ultimate guide.”