Fresh evidence of abuse at the Ghana Scholarships Secretariat has emerged, showing that state resources were used to pay the living expenses of Mrs. Gifty Oware Mensah, former Deputy Director of the National Service Scheme (NSS), under her husband’s foreign scholarship.
Registrar of the Secretariat, Alex Kwaku Asafo-Agyei, revealed on Adom TV on Tuesday, September 9, that under the tenure of his predecessor, Dr. Kingsley Agyemang, the Secretariat routinely extended scholarship packages beyond students to cover their wives and children.
According to him, the Secretariat not only covered tuition and stipends for awardees but also paid for visa fees, airline tickets, and annual allowances for their dependents. He described the practice as a serious irregularity that deprived genuinely needy students of opportunities.
“Scholarships were turned into family benefits. Documents show approvals for air tickets, visa processes, and stipends for spouses and children. This is not what the scheme was established for, and it is a clear misuse of public funds,” Asafo-Agyei stated.
One striking example cited is Mr. Peter Mensah, who received a scholarship in January 2022 to pursue an LLM in Law at Brunel University, London. His package included £17,875 for tuition, £16,008 for living expenses, and £8,160 annually for his wife, Mrs. Gifty Oware Mensah.
An official letter from the Secretariat confirmed:
“The scholarship covers Peter Mensah and his dependents listed above and covers the student’s tuition fees of £17,875 and living expenses of £16,008 per annum. It also covers his dependent, Gifty Afia Oware Mensah, spouse, living expenses of £8,160.”
The revelation has sparked outrage, fueling claims that the Secretariat has become a “cash cow” for politically connected families while brilliant but needy students are left stranded.
Civil society organizations are now demanding a full-scale audit and reforms to restore credibility to the scholarship scheme and ensure taxpayer money benefits the truly deserving.
