Ghanaian students in Serbia are facing severe difficulties due to delayed stipends from their home country’s Scholarship Secretariat.
These stipends, crucial for their academic and daily living expenses, have not been disbursed for nearly a year, significantly affecting their studies and well-being.
According to reports from Citi News, many of these students depend on low-paying jobs or loans to manage their basic needs. Abdul Salam Mohammed, one of the affected students, shared that the delay has persisted for almost 11 months, despite continuous communication with the Scholarship Secretariat.
“Many of us are forced to take on menial jobs, which negatively impact our academic performance,” he explained.
Another student, who wished to remain anonymous, highlighted the dire financial struggles they face, making it challenging even to commute to campus for lectures.
“We often have to borrow money to meet our basic needs, which should have been covered by our stipends,” the student said.
These financial hardships have come into sharper focus following an investigative report by The Fourth Estate, which revealed that scholarships intended for academically gifted but financially needy students are allegedly being diverted to influential individuals and associates of powerful figures.
This misuse of funds has sparked public outrage and calls for reform.
In light of these revelations, Dr. Peter Anti Partey, Executive Secretary of the Institute for Education Studies, has described the situation as unfortunate and has called for presidential intervention.
He suggests setting up a commission of inquiry to thoroughly investigate these discrepancies and develop recommendations to overhaul the Scholarship Secretariat’s operations.
This situation mirrors similar challenges faced by Ghanaian students in Hungary, emphasizing a systemic issue within the Scholarship Secretariat that impacts students globally.
Share Our Post on the Topic ‘Ghanaian students On Government Scholarship in Serbia cry over delayed stipends’.
To Read More Stories, Click Here.