Photo: Kofi Ofosu Nkansah (L), former CEO and Eric Adjei (R) new CEO
The National Entrepreneurship and Innovation Programme (NEIP) has been rocked by a bombshell employment scandal, forcing management to boot 32 staff from their posts—at least for now. But while critics howl, a former insider has come out swinging in defence of the new CEO, Eric Adjei, saying he had no choice but to clean up the mess left behind by his predecessors.
NEIP ordered the affected staff to stay home from Monday, February 24, 2025, after a damning probe exposed a payroll nightmare—no official salary grades, no financial clearance, and no proper placement under the government’s pay structure. Instead of earning formal salaries, the employees were paid illegal monthly allowances from operational funds—an outright violation of Ghana’s labour laws.
The dodgy dealings reportedly started under the late Deputy Finance Minister, John Ampontuah Kumah, and continued under Kofi Ofosu Nkansah, the ex-NEIP boss known for his Facebook antics rather than leadership. Worse still, for six years, management didn’t bother to pay Social Security and National Insurance Trust (SSNIT) contributions for these staff—effectively robbing them of their rightful benefits.
Ex-Comms Boss Fires Back
Stepping into the storm is former NEIP Communications Director Oppong Brenya, who isn’t holding back against those slamming the decision. He insists the new CEO is simply fixing a broken system.
“I don’t think the new CEO made any error in this decision. You need to understand the situation before you talk about it. These staff were paid by NEIP, but we have no internally generated funds to pay ourselves. It’s only the Controller that pays workers and determines salary grades,” he snapped.
“I was a director at NEIP, and I support this decision. Sometimes let’s leave politics out and speak the truth,” he fumed.
But when some NPP loyalists, including Kofi Nkansah, turned their guns on him, Brenya hit back hard.
“Nkwasiafuor nkoaa!!! They think my life depends on politics. You employ people when you have no power to do so. They are not under Controller, neither are they under the Public Service or Civil Service,” he blasted.
“You paid them with Government of Ghana operational funds, which in itself is illegal. In any serious country, you would be asked to refund that money! Now a new administration takes over, sees this mess, and asks them to stay home while things get sorted. And what do you do? Leak an internal memo to social media to paint a false picture! Why didn’t they regularise them all those years if they valued them? Such nonsense!”
Years of Rot Exposed
By December 2024, NEIP had 32 employees working under questionable terms. When reality hit in January 2025, 12 of them jumped ship without even bothering to send in resignation letters—knowing they were on shaky ground.
The affected staff’s appointment letters were nothing short of vague—no salary details, no pay structure, nothing official. They were simply given allowances, breaking all known labour laws. And since there was no budgetary provision for them, the previous management just dipped into operational funds to cover costs—an act that screams financial mismanagement.
The worst part? Six years of unpaid SSNIT contributions! No safety net, no benefits—just pure negligence.
New Boss Steps In To Fix the Mess
Now, the new NEIP leadership is trying to right the wrongs, but with all the legal entanglements, it’s a messy job. The decision to suspend the affected staff isn’t about victimisation—it’s about cleaning the house.
NEIP’s official statement makes it clear: no one has been sacked yet. It’s just a temporary freeze to straighten things out. Only essential staff will return while the rest await financial clearance for proper government payroll placement.
And for those still holding onto NEIP property, the warning is loud and clear—return it by Tuesday, February 25, 2025, or be labelled a thief.
With the scandal now fully blown open, one thing is certain—heads will roll, and the days of dodgy payroll tricks at NEIP are over. The new CEO has drawn the line, and there’s no turning back!
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