Sierra Leone’s Centre for Accountability and Rule of Law has condemned what it describes as entrenched corruption within the Ministry of Basic and Senior Secondary School Education (MBSSE), citing the discovery of 4,662 ghost workers on the payroll of schools nationwide.
A statement posted on the organization’s website on July 30, 2025, described the discovery as a potential large-scale fraud involving the public education and finance systems. The reaction followed a July 24 memorandum from the Teaching Service Commission (TSC), circulated by the Ministry of Finance, which revealed that thousands of non-existent teachers had been receiving salaries. The memo, addressed to several banks, requested detailed account information and withdrawal histories for the listed individuals covering the period from January to June 2025.
According to CARL, the presence of ghost workers is not a new issue but a longstanding one that continues to drain public funds meant for essential services.
“The presence of ghost workers in the public service payroll has gone on for several years,” said Jeremy Ben Simbo, Head of Programmes at CARL. “It may have been part of a criminal scheme to siphon public funds into the pockets of individuals across the relevant ministries and departments.”
Simbo emphasized that the situation appears to go beyond administrative negligence, describing it as a deliberate and organized scheme involving key actors across ministries, agencies, and school administrations. He argued that the pattern of payments suggests a coordinated effort rather than an accidental oversight.
CARL commended the TSC for conducting the verification exercise and urged the Ministry of Finance to immediately remove all identified ghost workers from the payroll and begin recovering the misused funds. The organization also called on the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) to lead a full investigation and bring any responsible officials to justice.
CARL further demanded that both the Ministry of Basic and Senior Secondary School Education and the Ministry of Finance publicly address the matter. It urged authorities to suspend individuals implicated in the scheme and withhold their salaries and benefits while investigations are underway.
“Corruption constitutes a binding constraint to Sierra Leone’s development,” CARL warned. “At a time when the country is struggling to meet debt obligations as well as provide basic social and economic services to the people of Sierra Leone, we should leave no stone unturned to bring to justice those who defraud the Government and people of Sierra Leone.“
The organization insists that without accountability and reform, the country’s efforts toward economic recovery and improved public service delivery will remain at risk.
