Kofi Asare, the Executive Director of Africa Education Watch (EduWatch), has urged the government to transform the Scholarship Secretariat into an authority. This move would establish a regulatory framework to ensure proper scrutiny and efficient disbursement of scholarship awards.
In light of a recent investigative report titled “Scholarship Bonanza,” which exposed the awarding of significant scholarship amounts to relatives of politically exposed individuals, Asare emphasized the need for a more structured and accountable system. Among the beneficiaries highlighted in the report were the daughter of former NPP Chairman Freddie Blay and a nephew of ex-Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta, leading to public outrage.
Speaking on TV3’s Ghana Tonight program, Asare commended the Office of the Special Prosecutor for taking an interest in the Scholarship Secretariat’s activities. He also called on the political class to prioritize national interest over rewarding party loyalists with scholarships.
Asare proposed the establishment of a scholarship authority to oversee the administration and management of scholarships across various faculties. He argued that the current setup, operating under the presidency without a legal framework, lacks the necessary regulatory measures found in best practices of public sector management.
Furthermore, Dr. Peter Partey Anti, the Executive Secretary of the Institute for Education Studies (IFEST-Gana), suggested that President Akufo-Addo institute a commission of inquiry to delve deeper into the operations of the Scholarship Secretariat. This additional scrutiny aims to ensure transparency and accountability within the scholarship awarding process.
By transforming the Scholarship Secretariat into an authority and conducting a thorough investigation into its operations, stakeholders hope to improve the efficiency and integrity of the scholarship awarding system in Ghana.
