A performance audit report on the administration of scholarships by the Ghana Education Trust Fund (GETFund) from 2012 to 2018 has revealed that top appointees of the New Patriotic Party government received scholarships to study abroad.
The beneficiaries are Dr Matthew Opoku Prempeh, Education Minister; Sarah Adwoa Safo, Procurement Minister and Deputy Majority Leader in Parliament; and Mr Ignatius Baffour Awuah, Employment and Labour Relations Minister among others.
Some government appointees, Members of Parliament, lecturers, heads of institutions and some media practitioners benefited from the scheme meant for needy-but-brilliant students.
Dr Opoku Prempeh is listed as a Harvard University student sponsored for the programme National and International Security, receiving US$11,200 and US$12,800 as tuition and living allowance respectively.
The Procurement Minister is also listed as a Harvard Kennedy School student who received US$17,004 as tuition fees and US$12,800 as a living allowance.
Mr Baffour Awuah is listed by the report as a student of University of Portsmouth, UK, studying BA International Relations and Politics, and enjoying £11,800 as tuition fees and £12,710 as a living allowance.
Prince Hamidu Armah, who is the Executive Secretary of National Council for Curriculum and Assessment (NaCCA), the report stated, for his Philosophy in Education programme at University of Aberdeen has received £33,000 and £38,400 as tuition fees and living expenses respectively.
The audit report concluded that the failings of the GETFund led to brilliant-but-needy students being deprived of scholarship in favour of politicians.
“GETFund did not establish any systems, policies and procedures to ensure the economic, efficient and effective use of public funds,” the report stated.
