Scholarship Secretariat scandal takes new dimension

A research fellow at the Hans Ruthenberg Institute, University of Hohenheim, Sulemana Issifu, has revealed a concerning trend wherein individuals are allegedly offering bribes to staff members of the Ghana Scholarships Secretariat in exchange for scholarship awards.

Apart from paying for scholarships, Mr. Issifu claims that after completing their studies, some individuals are then compelled to pay for consent letters in order to seek employment opportunities abroad.

Speaking on concerns about corruption and nepotism within the Scholarship Secretariat, he mentioned that some students disclosed to have paid exorbitant amounts, such as £5,000 in exchange for the promise of a £40,000 scholarship.

Additionally, graduates sponsored by the government to study abroad are required to return and contribute their quota to the development of the country; however, some graduates reportedly sought consent letters from the Scholarship Secretariat to extend their stay in foreign countries.

The research fellow made the allegation that some of these graduates paid as much as £3000 to insiders at the Scholarship Secretariat for the issuance of such consent letters to stay and work abroad.

“The problems associated with the Scholarship Secretariat are enormous. There is a problem of nepotism. Some have told me that they pay as much as £5,000 to get a scholarship of £40,000.

“Under normal circumstances, if you are sponsored with state funds, you are required to come back and assist the country in one way or the other. However, there are some graduates who after completion, request a letter of consent from the Scholarship Secretariat to continue their stay in that particular country. Some of them paid as much as £3,000 to the Scholarship Secretariat to get the consent letter,” he said.

He added that there have been instances where some individuals who have Ph.D are still offered scholarships by the Secretariat to offer another Ph.D programme. “So, these are cases whereby there are many young Ghanaians who do not have the money to even get a first degree, but some have the luxury of doing a second Ph.D – all under monies provided with our taxes.”

Effects of the practice

These corrupt practices have some negative implications for the country. The brain drain menace keeps widening as specially trained experts in specific fields by the state to bring on board expertise end up performing for other foreign countries.

Instead of the graduates coming to contribute to their homeland’s development, they end up performing menial jobs such as janitorial work and serving in old age homes abroad.

“This is what our taxes are being used for, and someone sits at the Scholarship Secretariat to justify this. I wonder if such people have a conscience.”

Mr. Sulemana Issifu made these revelations in his remarks on Joy FM’s Newsfile radio programme on Saturday.

The Scholarship Secretariat has been in the limelight after an investigative piece by the Fourth Estate media organisation titled ‘Scholarship Bonanza’ named persons close to key government officials as beneficiaries of scholarships that it deems inappropriate.

Registrar of the Scholarship Secretariat, Dr. Kingsley Agyemang, in response to the issues, has made a call for swift legislation to streamline the distribution of scholarships in the country to address the numerous misconceptions about the scheme.

He highlighted that the current challenges faced by the secretariat are due to the absence of clear legislation defining who qualifies as a needy individual for a scholarship.

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