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The Ghana Education Trust Fund (GETFund) Scholarship scheme
audited for the period 2012 to 2018 has revealed that alleged appointees in the
NPP and the NDC administration took state cash to go to school.
The appointees – Dr Matthew Opoku-Prempeh,
Education Minister, Sarah Adwoa Safo, Procurement Minister and Deputy Majority
Leader in Parliament, Ignatius Baffour-Awuah, Employment and Labour Relations
Minister, as well as other government appointees and Members of Parliament,
have been listed by the Auditor General as beneficiaries of the GETFund
scholarships, a policy meant for needy but brilliant students.
The performance audit report on the
administration of scholarships by the GETFund also named some lecturers, heads
of institutions and associates and media practitioners as having benefited
directly from the scheme.
The Education Minister 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 and Deputy Majority
Leader in Parliament 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.
Ignatius 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.
Reactions from Education Ministry and GETFund
Ghana Education Trust Fund (GETFund), has denied
awarding scholarships to the above-mentioned appointees of the Nana Addo Dankwa
Akufo-Addo administration.
The Fund, however, stated that scholarships by
GETFund is not limited to needy but brilliant students.
“We wish to categorically state that the award
of scholarships by GETFund under the GETFund Act 2000, Act 581, is not limited
to needy but brilliant students. The Fund may, per its mandate, also provide
support for such other educational activities and programmes to serve strategic
national interests.”
Meanwhile, the Education Ministry has also described
that publication as vexatious.
The Ministry in a statement stated, “We are by
this notice stating categorically that, under no circumstances has the Minister
of Education, received any sponsorship for scholarship from GETFund since
assuming office.”
