In a recent exposé by The Fourth Estate, the Scholarship Secretariat in Ghana has been revealed to favor political connections over merit when awarding scholarships. The investigation uncovered a disturbing trend of qualified applicants, like Franklina Mensah (not her real name), being overlooked in favor of individuals with political affiliations, including MPs, ministers, and even the presidency.
Franklina’s story epitomizes the struggle of many deserving students who are denied scholarships despite their academic excellence and financial need. Despite her stellar credentials and a promising proposal for a master’s degree in the UK, Franklina was informed that her name had been removed from the scholarship shortlist due to protocol demands from higher offices.
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This systemic issue was further illuminated when The Fourth Estate requested scholarship data from the years 2019 and 2020. Initially met with resistance, the data eventually revealed alarming discrepancies in the allocation of scholarship funds. Instead of prioritizing needy students as intended, the Scholarship Secretariat allocated significant sums to politically connected individuals and their associates.
Among the findings were cases where individuals associated with political elites received substantial funding for prestigious international programs, despite lacking genuine financial need. Furthermore, children of prominent figures in Ghanaian society were also beneficiaries of government scholarships, exploiting their privilege and connections to access educational opportunities meant for the underprivileged.
The investigation also uncovered instances of multiple scholarships being awarded to certain individuals, while many deserving applicants struggled to secure even one scholarship. These multiple awards were often justified as administrative errors or for complementary courses, but they underscored the mismanagement and insensitivity of the Scholarship Secretariat.
Despite claims from the Registrar of the Scholarship Secretariat, Dr. Kingsley Agyemang, that scholarships are awarded based on criteria beyond financial need, such as Ghanaian citizenship and admission to a university, the lack of transparency and accountability remains a significant concern. Dr. Agyemang’s assertion that recommendations from influential individuals sometimes influence scholarship awards further raises questions about the integrity of the selection process.
Critics, including Dr. Clement Apaak and Prof. Peter Quartey, have condemned the preferential treatment given to politically connected individuals and their relatives, emphasizing the importance of scholarships for the truly needy. They advocate for an independent and equitable selection process that prioritizes merit and genuine financial need, rather than political connections.
As the exposé sheds light on the Scholarship Secretariat’s flawed practices, it calls for urgent reforms to ensure that scholarships are awarded fairly and transparently, in line with their intended purpose of supporting Ghana’s brightest but neediest students.