The Minority in Parliament has called for the immediate interdiction of the Registrar of the Scholarship Secretariat following a Fourth Estate publication regarding the award of scholarships to politically influential individuals.
A recent publication by the Fourth Estate dubbed ‘Scholarship Bonanza’ has, among other things, alleged that scholarships are being unfairly distributed to well-connected affluent individuals.
The Fourth Estate, in its latest publication christened ‘Scholarship Bonanza’, has named persons close to key government officials as beneficiaries of scholarships that it deems inappropriate.
The Fourth Estate reported that the Scholarship Secretariat’s response to the RTI request showed that it had spent GHS237.5 million and GHS200 million in 2019 and 2020, respectively, covering both foreign and local scholarships.
The investigations by the news portal revealed a trend where scholarship funds were handed over to influential people as well as children, relatives, and associates of powerful figures.
The Minority, in a statement, said the latest work by the newsportal has revealed wanton corruption and gross abuse of office by the Registrar and other officials of the Akufo-Addo and Bawumia NPP governments.
The statement said the widespread reports of multiple scholarships worth several thousand dollars, sometimes awarded to the same individuals in the same year, reveal the extent of abuse of the taxpayers money.
“Worst of all, it has been reported that these awards are sometimes handed to NPP-aligned persons for two-week training programmes abroad, in return for some kickback.”
The statement which was issued and signed by Peter Nortsu-Kotoe, a Ranking Member on the Education Committee declared that the Special Prosecutor must order an immediate forensic audit of all scholarships awarded since January 2017.
It further asked the President to act swiftly in this matter in order to protect the public purse from further abuse.
Below is the full statement
By: Rainbowradioonline.com/Ghana
